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Lost in most reports of the current budget struggles by regional jurisdictions has been the new option approved in Richmond last year to raise the commercial real estate tax rate above that of residential real estate. In these tough fiscal times, the focus has been entirely on the residential real estate tax rate, with ample coverage on

the fact that both Falls Church and Fairfax County project a three-cent increase.

Both jurisdictions are slated to adopt budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1 by the end of this month.

But the new commercial tax hike option was included as part of the package signed into law last year to generate significant new revenues for transportation.

While the bulk of that transportation funding package fell by

the wayside when pronounced unconstitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court earlier this year, the commercial real estate tax option remained intact.

So did the abusive driver fees, which were so unpopular the legislature voted to rescind them last month.

Now, area jurisdictions are planning to go ahead with the commercial tax hike option Continued on Page 4

In the first of two faceoffs before the May 6 City of Falls Church municipal election, six candidates vying to fill three seats on the City Council debated the best pathways to a sustainable future last night.

The sharpest divide came on the final question of the hourand-a-half-long televised debate in front of a packed house in the City Hall’s Council chambers. It dealt with the referendum question that will be on the May ballot that would, if passed, alter the City charter to mandate a stiff residential development restriction in the City’s commercially zoned areas.

The two incumbents on the City Council seeking election to third terms, Mayor Robin Gardner and Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry, spoke strongly in opposition to the referendum, saying it would stifle the City’s ability to welcome new marketdriven development and negotiate effectively in the City’s best interest. They were joined

by Lawrence Webb, who shares “slate” status with them as candidates endorsed by the City’s venerable civic organization, the Citizens for a Better City.

Independent candidate Patrice Lepczyk opposed it as well.

Two independent candidates said they favored passage of the referendum, Nader Baroukh and Margaret Housen. Baroukh said that the City Council is now inclined to “approve almost any” mixed use project, and a charter change would provide it with “guidance” and “a leveraging tool.”

Gardner contended that such Continued on Page 5

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April 17 - 23, 2008

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Vol. XVIII, No. 7 April 17 - 23, 2008 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association • • Audited Circulation: 30,500 •

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Opponents to the ill-conceived referendum on the May 4 ballot in the City of Falls Church received strong support from a nationally-prominent expert in municipal policy this week.

Long-time City of Falls Church resident and former Planning Commissioner Bob Burnett interviewed Charles Royer, a former mayor of Seattle, Washington, recently, asking him to comment after reading the text of the charter-change referendum that will be on the Falls Church ballot on May 4. Royer served three terms as mayor of Seattle and is a past president of the National League of Cities. He’s been director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University and a lecturer at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Burnett published the transcript of the interview on the local political blog, Blueweeds, this week, and the words of this accomplished public servant speak as well as anything we’ve tried to express on this subject, ourselves. The referendum is a very bad idea and should be defeated.

Placed by petition on the ballot by citizen opponents to the recent Falls Church City Council approval of the $317 million City Center project in February, the referendum calls for a charter change to strictly limit future development in the commercially-zoned corridors of the City to a maximum of 40% residential.

“It is not good public policy to put these kinds of things in a City Charter,” Royer said. “Zoning and business code issues belong in zoning and building codes where they can be adjusted according to changing circumstances.”

“If this were to pass,” he added, “It would send a very bad signal to folks who might do development you very much want to have.”

Royer then said, “The policy itself is not very smart…it even conflicts with the Falls Church ‘Vision and Strategic Plan’ which I saw on the City’s website.” (That plan calls for “a harmonious mix of residential, commercial and retail venues due to the community’s focus on smart design, walkability and human scale”).

“I think you accomplish that vision,” Royer said, “By permitting compact, walkable, people-friendly development, which to me means residential, small business, great streetscapes and an emphasis on the pedestrian environment. All commercial, or a preponderance of commercial development, equals a nine to five downtown that is pretty much dead at night.”

Royer said he’s been to downtown Falls Church, and recalled that “some traffic calming, such as on-street parking, further street beautification and people living in the center would really help.”

He concluded the interview by remarking, “Even to an outsider, this referendum looks like a very bad idea for Falls Church.”

Falls Church citizens should take heed of this expert analysis.

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Editor, As a 29-year resident of Falls Church and a past president of PTAs at every level of our schools, I’m concerned about some of the candidates running for City Council and their “plans” for our City. Our schools are among the best in the nation and we want to keep them that way. To keep our schools competitive, we need funds to support them.

For decades, Falls Church tried with little success to attract significant commercial development. Then a number of expert studies showed that a key factor in attracting business is incor-

porating high-end, mixed-use development - because new residents in the mix add the buying power needed to draw businesses.

Recent Councils have successfully increased our tax base through mixed-use development, so much so that we will pay lower taxes this coming year, while we fully fund the School Board’s budget request.

New development has replaced blighted sites with high-end buildings, new shops and restaurants (e.g., The Broadway replaced the long abandoned AdCom building and The Spectrum replaced an

overgrown lot vacant more than two decades).

Some candidates say the new development “overcrowds” our schools. This is not the case.

Buildings such as the Broadway and Byron house very few school children. These kinds of mixed-use projects generate substantial new revenue for the City, and put little load on our schools. They also mean more customers for our local businesses, helping them prosper and generate more sales tax revenue, further enhancing school funding.

Thanks to diligent planning by recent School Boards & Councils, and strong community support for construction of our new middle school and expansion of Mt. Daniel, our schools have ample capacity.

As the current School Board chair stated in a letter Feb. 24, “we can handle the anticipated influx of students in our current

buildings and classroom space in the upcoming years.”

I plan to vote for Robin Gardner, Lindy Hockenberry and Lawrence Webb for Council because they support reasonable mixed-use development as part of an overall strategy to attract business, citizens and tax dollars to Falls Church to support our excellent services and schools.

Sharon Schoeller Falls Church

Editor, As a high school student who has done his best to take up the task of whipping up demoMore Letters on Page 6

April 17 - 23, 2008

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April 17 - 23, 2008

“Do you agree with F.C.’s decision to not raise the commercial real estate tax?”

• Yes • No Continued from Page 1

even though it is not now tied to transportation funding, per se.

According to Fairfax County Supervisor Linda Smyth, speaking at a luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce and the Merrifield Business Association in Falls Church Tuesday, Fairfax County has advertised a whopping 12-cent increase in the commercial real estate tax rate for the county.

While the county budget has not yet been finalized by the Supervisors, she indicated that the 12-cent increase will probably be included in the final package. Others reported that Arlington County is planning a nine cent increase.

On the other hand, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields, also at the ChamberMerrifield luncheon, noted that no separate increase in the commercial real estate rate is included in the City of Falls Church’s current budget delibfalls church news erations.

Nor will it press.qxp be, as by

law, jurisdictions must advertise in advance the highest tax rate they may or may not adopt for the coming year.

The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors went on record last year opposing the use of the commercial tax hike option, fearful that it would fall unfairly on small business tenants of commercial real estate properties. It argued that landlords would simply pass through the higher tax to their tenants who, in the case of Falls Church, are predominantly small businesses struggling to meet their bottom lines.

A Chamber board member verbally thanked the City of Falls Church at Tuesday’s luncheon for not including the commercial tax hike option in this year’s budget.

Some noted, however, that the City should be thanking the Chamber instead, since the Chamber’s staunch support for new, large-scale mixed-use projects in the City’s commer4/4/2008 4:26 Page 1 cial corridors has PM helped bring

new tax-generating development that has eased the City’s budget pressures even in the developments’ early stages.

Ironically, in Falls Church, despite the flatlining of residential real estate values requiring a three-cent increase in the tax rate from $1.01 per $100 of assessed valuation to $1.04 (with the final vote on the new budget coming April 28), the average tax bill for a City residential property will actually decline in absolute terms by $112.

Meanwhile, even though the City’s schools will eliminate the equivalent of eight non-classroom positions under the new budget, the School Board, Superintendent Lois Berlin, also present at Tuesday’s meeting, and the Falls Church Educators Association have all expressed confidence that the quality of the system will not be adversely effected by the tight budget this year. On the contrary, the budget allows for certain strategic gains in the system, such as the extension of the International Baccalaureate

• Don’t know/Don’t care

Vote on-line at www.FCNP.com Results of Last Week’s Question: “Do you agree with the contention that F.C.’s economy is stronger than other parts of Northern Virginia?”

The FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.

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Tuesday’s luncheon featured a “Richmond legislative report” by area legislators State Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple and Del. Jim Scott. Del. Bob Hull, who was also scheduled to appear, was ill and did not attend.

Among other things, Scott reported on the town meeting held by Gov. Tim Kaine at the

Luther Jackson Middle School last Saturday, noting that Gov. Kaine made it clear that at the upcoming special legislative session to hammer out a new transportation funding formula, he will not accept placing the burden on regions or localities, but will require a comprehensive statewide approach.

“This was a very important statement,” Del. Scott said.

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April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 5

a charter change would restrict the Council’s ability to leverage deals, citing her consultation with a Virginia Municipal League official who said that charter changes are normally used to give jurisdictions more, and not less, flexibility.

Housen said that “what has been done hasn’t been working,” but Webb noted the referendum, if passed, would “remove from the City its long-standing tradition of citizen participation,” reverting development matters to legal mandate rather than flexible community-wide deliberation.

A seventh candidate on the May ballot, Ed Hillegass, told the event organizers in advance he would not be able to attend.

The Falls Church League of Women Voters and the Village Preservation and Improvement Society co-sponsored the faceoff.

Next Tuesday, a second and final debate will be sponsored by the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center.

All six candidates participating in last night’s debate rejected the notion in one written question from the audience that the City’s schools ought to cut expenses. Two candidates call the City schools the City’s “crown jewels,” and all not only praised their excellence, but said they should get the funding they need.

But on the question of mixed-use development and the City’s use of the special exception ordinance, the candidates differed sharply, all arguing for their versions of how to achieve what Hockenberry coined as the “sustainability of our indepen-

dent City with smart growth.”

Baroukh said that the City “should drive the market, instead of letting the market drive us.”

Gardner rejoined that “development necessarily is market driven,” as evidenced by the fact that, before devising the “special exception” negotiating tool in 2000, the City “waited and waited” decades for commercial development that never came.

On issues of traffic and the claim of residential “overbuilding,” the candidates also disagreed. Residential is needed to create “critical mass” to bring in more commercial, Hockenberry said. Webb said that bringing more people in proximity with where they work will reduce CO2 emissions. Baroukh said there is a residential “glut” that will impact traffic. Lepczyk blasted “bureaucratic ineptitude” at City Hall, and Housen assailed the City’s high business license tax.

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April 17 - 23, 2008

keep our electoral discussion non-personal, civil and on the issues.

Peter Davis Via the Internet Continued from Page 2

cratic spirit among the senior class at George Mason High School, I find many aspects of the current City Council election troubling.

One would hope that the general discourse of a community election would remain civil and productive. However, one or two blogs that have been staples of city discussion have taken an uncivil turn. I have seen such unproductive statements as derogatory nicknames for city officials and council members, negative references to candidates’ personal lives, and links to pages discussing citizens’ personal matters.

No matter CBC-endorsed or “opposition;” no matter proCity Center or anti-City Center; no matter the individual policy position of each---what holds true is that every candidate in the upcoming election cares deeply about the betterment of the City of Falls Church.

We have a chance to set an example for the next generation of community activists and voters--- so let us, as commentators and/or candidates,

Editor, In his letter to the editor last week, Stan Fendley states that he doesn’t “buy the notion that we must add hundreds of residential units to get” a new city center with shops and restaurants, green space and pedestrian areas. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is precisely the strong condo market that is the economic driving force of construction of new town centers, from Arlington’s Market Square to Reston Town Center.

Fendley also goes on to state that revenues gained from these residential units will likely be consumed by school costs for the new residents. The experience of our neighbors, again, proves this to be a false belief.

For instance, Arlington planners report, as I have learned, that not one new classroom has been constructed as a result of the surge in condominium construction – development consider-

ably more dense than any built or proposed for Falls Church.

Falls Church history also supports this fact. From 1961 until 1967, a period equal to the time we have been working to implement the Streetscape plan, a number of multi-family residential buildings were constructed in Falls Church totaling more than 900 units; Broadfalls Apartments, Merrill House & Roosevelt Towers among them.

But instead of over taxing the school system, enrollment began to decrease in the 1970’s.

Thought was given to even closing Mt. Daniel Elementary, but the school board decided to move their offices into a couple classrooms saving the rental costs for office space.

The city even formed a committee to attract families with school age children, publishing a brochure and running ads to encourage families to consider Falls Church as an ideal place to live and educate their children.

The truth is that mixed used development with a substantial residential component contributes significantly to city tax revenues, serves a residential market underserved in the city, provides a strong customer base to support desirable retail establishments, restaurants, arts and entertainment venues, and yes helps create a greater sense of community.

I am supporting the election of CBC candidates for City Council including two outstanding incumbents, Robin Gardner and Lindy Hockenberry.

Paul H. Barkley Falls Church

Editor, The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce supports mixed use development projects and the policies and procedures currently in place to review such projects.

As such, the Board opposes the Referendum, which will appear on the City’s ballot May 6th, which would restrict the amount of residential units in mixed use projects.

It would deny the City Council and staff the ability to make decisions based on the current market and City needs. And, it would very likely put a stop to all development in the City, something we taxpayers cannot afford.

The Chamber does not, however, automatically support mixed use projects. The Chamber reviews and analyzes each project based on a specific set of criteria.

That criteria includes whether or not the project includes an anchor or attraction for drawing people

to the City, whether or not it provides significant amenities and aesthetic considerations, whether it provides significant parking, whether it provides attractive pedestrian access and traffic mitigation, whether or not the project places an undue burden on municipal services including the schools and utilities, whether its design, massing of building elements, scale, use of materials, colors, and textures, height, and density, and overall architectural character will contribute to the image, whether or not the project will increase commercial property values, and whether or not the project will result in a substantial net revenue gain for the City. All of these criteria are important – and all of them bear the same weight in the Chamber’s consideration process.

The Chamber Board, half of whom are also City residents, makes its recommendations based on what it believes to be in the best interests - both near term and long term - of the City for all of its taxpayers - residents as well as businesses. Citizens interested in acting in our communities’ best interest can make their voice heard May 6th – Vote “No” to the Charter Change Referendum.

Gary LaPorta Co-Chair, F.C Chamber Legislative Committee More Letters on Page 32

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 7

F.C. EDA Hosts Educational Forum on Charter Referendum The City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) will host a forum on “Economic Development Questions Surrounding the Charter Referendum� next Wednesday, April 23, at the F.C. Community Center at 7 p.m. The referendum, if passed, would trigger a Falls Church charter change mandating that a maximum of 40% residential is legal for mixed use projects in the City’s commercially-zoned areas. Discussing the impact of this will be Joe Svatos of the Akridge Company, Lisa Benjamin of Newmark Knight Frank, James Snyder (retired) of Arlington County and Grant Ehat of JBG Rosenfeld Retail. Three additional speakers have been invited but not yet confirmed.

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Supervisor Gross Signs International Environmental Pact Representing Northern Virginia, Mason District Supervisor Penelope Gross added her signature to a “Declaration of Cooperation� on climate change and energy conservation issues with representatives of U.S. and European metropolitan regions. The declaration emanated from the first-ever U.S.-European Conference of Metropolitan Regional Councils held in Alexandria, Va., last week. Gross signed on behalf of the Northern Virginia Regional Council. Representatives of more than 20 U.S. and European regional councils participated, including those from Scotland, Germany, France, Finland, England, Turkey and the Netherlands, and from the U.S., Washington, D.C., California, Kentucky, Texas, New York, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

F.C. Dem Committee Cancels Delegate Election Only eight City of Falls Church residents submitted applications as committed and pledged delegates to the Democratic Party’s 8th District and state conventions this week, one less than the number of slots allotted the City as a result of the Democratic Presidential Primary in February. Therefore, an advertised election to select delegates and alternates for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton this Saturday has been cancelled, according to the Falls Church City Democratic Committee Chair Betty Coll. Four delegates pledged to Obama and two pledged to Clinton were certified, along with two alternates for Obama. Jeffrey T. Person, Cathy Kaye, Robin Gardner and Michael Gardner are delegates for Obama, with Jeanne Moore Duross and Thomas Clinton as alternates. Betty Coll and Christine Ryall are delegates for Clinton.

Pennington’s MDA Benefit Raises Over $20,000 Northern Virginia-based men’s figure skating phenom Parker Pennington organized and pulled off a highly-successful figure skating exhibition, a benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Connecticut last Saturday, raising over $20,000 for the cause. A stellar cast of top drawer skating competitors from six states traveled to perform in addition to Pennington, who has been sixth in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. They included from Northern Virginia, Tommy Steenberg, who in January qualified for the World Junior Championships, and Marci Andress, a junior level skater from the Flint Hill school. Pennington organized the event in honor of his dad, who has staunchly supported his son’s skating career since he was three despite his own fight with muscular dystrophy.

Pennington has also been involved for four years with the Skate for Hope annual charity event.

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FALLS CHURCH CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DEVELOPMENT FORUM

Falls Church Community Center A p r i l 2 3 , 2 0 08 7 pm to 9p m

TOPIC: Economic Development Questions Surrounding the Charter Referendum WHAT: The EDA hosts public educational forums throughout the year to learn from experts about important economic development factors and issues that affect city development decisions.

For this forum the EDA has invited a panel of professionals with expertise in commercial markets and development in the Washington, DC region to discuss economic development questions surrounding the May 6th Referendum.

All of the major developments in Falls Church have been mixed use projects with significant residential content. Why? What will it take to get more commercial development? Why havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we attracted more regional retail and what can we do about it? Are we in danger of overbuilding? What are the impacts of mixed use development on City infrastructure, including schools? Will apartments have a larger impact than do condos? The panel will address these and other important economic development questions.

WHO: The panel is expected to include: â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Joe Svatos, Senior Vice President, The Akridge Company Lisa Benjamin, Senior Managing Director, Newmark Knight Frank James Snyder, Senior Planner (Retired), Arlington County, VA Grant Ehat, Principal, JBG Rosenfeld Retail Jonathan Meyers, Vice President, Development and Acquisitions, Washington Property Co. (invited) Aaron Smith, Senior Associate, Economic Research Associates (invited) National Association of Industrial and Office Properties representative (invited)

N. Va. AIDS Ministry Benefit Gala Set for April 26

The public is encouraged to ask the panelists questions with the goal of generating a full dialogue on the topic of economic development in the city.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Party with a purposeâ&#x20AC;? is how the Falls Church-based Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM) opens its press release about its annual benefit gala on Saturday, April 26, at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria. The event is the largest AIDS fundraiser in Northern Virginia. Last year, $171,000 was raised, constituting 10% of NOVAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual income. The evening begins with private dinner parties in individual homes throughout the region, and the guests then migrate to the Torpedo Factory for desserts, cocktails, live entertainment featuring the D.C. Cowboys and an auction. For more information on attending or hosting a party, call (703) 237-1527.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9 p.m.

WHERE: Falls Church Arts Room (Community Center, upper level).

The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5491, (TTY 711).

Page 8

April 17 - 23, 2008

FALLS CHURCH CITY CITIZENS FOR A PROSPEROUS TOMORROW A referendum to approve a City Charter change will appear on Falls Church City Ballots on May 6th.

It will ask voters to limit the amount of residential units in mixed use development projects.

What would passage of this referendum do?

It would preclude flexibility by the City to make development decisions based on market indicators, citizen input and/or the needs of the City.

Would this affect City Center?

No it would not. The south side of City Center has been approved and the City Council has legislated that the north side will be 100% commercial.

How would passage of this referendum affect you?

This referendum will kill the economic development momentum that has produced tax revenues sufficient to maintain the quality of the Falls Church school system, without a net increase in residential taxes. Such development projects are significant contributors to the tax base providing much needed funds to support City services and maintain excellence in our school system.

Falls Church City Citizens for a Prosperous Tomorrow, a group of City residents opposing this referendum, ask that you join us on May 6th and

Vote NO To read the actual Referendum visit www.fallschurchreferendum.com Authorized by Falls Church Citizens for a Prosperous Tomorrow VA 08-015

April 17 - 23, 2008

Students and faculty at Falls Church High School have a new principal, after the school announced the hiring of Cathy Benner. Benner, formerly of Centreville High School replaces Janice Lloyd, who retired in November of 2007, as the new permanent principal as of May 1, 2008.

Benner brings with her over 20 years of experience in the professional field of education.

With her, she brings ideas from every leg of her educational career to help Falls Church High School emerge as the prize of the Fairfax County public schools.

“Falls Church used to be the jewel of Fairfax County. It has a tradition of excellence in both academics and athletics.

I’m committed to getting Falls Church back up to that level,” Benner said.

Benner was drawn to Falls Church High School because of

Page 9

the diversity, the school’s size and the reputation of the teaching staff. Falls Church High School has become a minoritymajority high school, meaning more students come from nonEnglish speaking homes than from English speaking homes.

Because of the diverse population, the teachers and staff have traditionally adapted new and innovative models of teaching, always willing to think outside of the box.

“A lot of schools have become places that kids don’t want to go to anymore, places where they’re not having any fun,” said Benner. “School should be fun, relevant and dynamic — kids should want to be there.”

At first, Benner plans on spending a lot of time listening to all stakeholders in the school, determining exactly what she can help improve during her tenure. A study was conducted earlier this year with the students and faculty, asking them to determine the school’s strengths and weak-

nesses. Benner wants to use that study to listen to the students, and gauge the school’s future course. She has no personal agenda, but wants to determine whether Falls Church should be a fully-AP (Advanced Placement) school or whether to offer IB (International Baccalaureate) programs as well. Falls Church also runs on a modified calendar, starting and ending two weeks earlier than most other schools in the district, putting potential incoming transfers at a severe learning disadvantage.

Benner’s experience in the field of teaching stretches far and wide. Before coming to Falls Church, she acted as a sub-school principal at Centreville for six years. Prior to that job, she also served as an Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in the Orange County school district, a Director of Secondary Education in Culpepper County and an AP U.S. History teacher in Fauquier County for 15

years.

Despite her frequent moves, the decision to come to Falls Church wasn’t necessarily an easy one for Benner.

“I cry my eyes out when I think about leaving these kids at Centerville. I hate the

thought of leaving some of these kids who I love and have watched grow up,” she says.

“But I realized that this was my chance to get in the door with Falls Church. And that’s the only thing that could have gotten me to leave.”

Page 10

April 17 - 23, 2008

We’re in the middle of a series of a historic economic transformations.

A string of technological revolutions have made American workers much more productive.

Over the past 30 years, steel producers have reduced the number of hours it takes to produce a ton of steel by up to 90 percent.

A social revolution has radically increased the number of women in the work force and pushed down male wages.

A medical revolution has led to enhanced diagnosis and treatment but also rapid health care inflation that burdens American employers and eats into workers’ weekly paychecks.

An information revolution has increased the economic rewards of education and punished those who lack it.

A pedagogical revolution has led to ferocious competition to get into the top universities but a decline in quality at the primary and secondary levels. For the first time in the nation’s history, workers retiring from the labor force are better educated than the ones coming in.

All of these huge social forces have had profound effects on how Americans work and live. All of them have combined to create a mass upper class, but also a struggling working class. They have all contributed to rising living standards, and also to the feelings of anxiety that show up in poll after poll.

You would think that if you were a thoughtful presidential candidate, addressing voters in an economically complicated state like Pennsylvania, you would want to describe how these pervasive forces are shaping the lives of voters and how government should respond. But, then again, you are not trapped in a campaign bubble. You have not outsourced your brain to political tacticians.

Barack Obama delivered a speech in Pittsburgh on Monday on the economic stresses facing American workers. In the speech, he devoted one clause in one sentence to the single biggest factor affecting the workplace: technological change. He then devoted 45 sentences to one of the least important: trade deals.

Economists differ over how much outsourcing will change the American job market in the future, but there is little evidence that trade has been a major cause of job loss or even wage stagnation so far. As Robert Z. Lawrence of the Peterson Institute for International Economics wrote in a recent study: “The recent increase in U.S. inequality {hellip} has

little to do with global forces that might especially affect unskilled workers -- namely, immigration and expanded trade with developing countries.”

And yet all Democratic domestic policy discussions have to start with trade and, in 99.9 percent of the cases, end with trade.

And we have not even begun to plumb the insignificance of Obama’s emphasis Monday. He wasn’t even talking about trade in general. He was talking about the NAFTA- and CAFTA-style trade agreements whose negative effects on the American economy are barely measurable. And, to make matters even more inconsequential, he wasn’t even taking a clear stand on such deals themselves.

Obama stuffed his speech with the textbook cliches Democratic consultants tell their candidates to use when talking about trade -- warnings about Chinese perfidy and lead paint in toys. But instead of following those cliches into the realm of economic populism, he hedged.

He wound up in the no-man’s land between Lou Dobbs-style populism and Bill Clinton-style free trade. He made a series of on-the-one-hand/on-theother-hand distinctions about which sort of trade deals he’d support and which he wouldn’t. It added up to a vague, watered-down version of economic light beer. In the end, he suggested a few minor tweaks in the U.S. tax code that would have a microscopic effect on outsourcing, and a few health and safety provisions which might have teenie-weenie effects on investment decisions. The ideas he sketched out in the speech aren’t dangerous. They’re just trivial.

We all know why Obama spoke the way he did Monday. The forces transforming the American economy are big and hard to control. If you think your listeners aren’t sophisticated enough to grasp them, it’s much easier to blame those perfidious foreigners for all economic woes. It’s much more heroic to pretend that, by opposing NAFTA, you can improve the lives of middle-class voters. Furthermore, these trade deals have become symbolic bogies for union activists.

Instead of concerning themselves with the tidal waves washing overhead, they’ve decided to insist on bendedknee submission in the holy war against Colombia.

What I don’t understand is why the political consultants prefer this kind of rhetoric. Aren’t there windows in the vans they use to drive around the state? Don’t they see that most middle-class voters are service workers in suburban office parks, not 1930s-style proletarians in the steel mills?

American voters aren’t so stupid as to think their problems are caused by foreigners and malevolent lobbyists. When Obama speaks down to his audiences, it makes me so bitter I want to cling to my laptop and my college degree.

WASHINGTON -- Sad to say, with the popularity and availability of email, personal letters may soon be a thing of the past.

Historians, too, will lose out. Communications may soon be reduced to instant messages and sound bytes on the air.

That’s why we should savor the National Geographic’s new collection of letters to first ladies titled “Dear First Lady” that give us some insights into their personal sorrows and joys.

The authors -- Dwight Young and Margaret Johnson -- selected some poignant missives, love notes between presidents and their wives and letters that marked great moments in history, such as President Lyndon B. Johnson’s sympathetic messages to Jackie Kennedy following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

As a reporter, I had covered some of the events referred to in the letters and was asked to write a foreword for the anthology.

The letters show that each first lady -- from Martha Washington on -- tried to do her own thing. Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, defined herself in a stream of correspondence with her husband, who was often away on official business.

Many of the letters sent to the first ladies involved personal appeals. The president’s wives often said they were helpless to intervene.

Sophie Rosenberg thought Mamie Eisenhower could be a “sympathetic ally” in saving her son, Julius Rosenberg, and his wife Ethel from execution in 1953 for espionage. They had been found guilty of passing atomic secrets to the Russians.

Despite Rosenberg’s grief-stricken appeal as a mother to Mrs. Eisenhower, the first lady apparently made no attempt to change President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s decision to let the execuContinued on Page 46

The Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan has been tracking American economic perceptions since the 1950s. On Friday the center released its latest estimate of the consumer sentiment index -- and it was a stunner. Americans are more pessimistic about their situation than they have been for more than a quarter century.

Meanwhile, a recent Pew report found that the percentage of Americans saying that they’re better off than they were five years ago is at its lowest level in 44 years of polling.

What’s striking about this bleak mood is that by the usual measures the economy isn’t doing that badly -- at least not yet. In particular, the official unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, though rising, is still fairly low by historical standards. Yet economic attitudes are worse now than they were in 1992, when the average unemployment rate was 7.5 percent.

Why are we feeling so down?

Our bleakness partly reflects that most Americans are doing considerably worse than the usual economic measures let on.

The official unemployment rate may be relatively low -- but the percentage of prime-working-age Americans without jobs, which isn’t the same thing, is historically high. Gross domestic product is up, but the inflation-adjusted income of the median family is probably lower than it was in 2000.

Beyond that, perceptions of the current economy are strongly influenced by the public’s sense of the larger pattern.

When Ronald Reagan famously asked, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” the correct answer was “Yes.” Median household income, adjusted for inflation, was higher in 1980 than it had been in 1976. But gas lines and double-digit inflation made people feel that things were falling apart.

Conversely, unemployment was still historically high when Reagan proclaimed “Morning in America.” But people were ready to hear an upbeat message because the economic storm seemed to have passed.

More recently, economic confidence held up relatively well during the 2001 recession, maybe because people were willing to see it as no more than a temporary interruption of the great 1990s boom.

A major reason we’re feeling so down is that for working Americans the boom never did come back. Job creation in the post-2001 recovery was pathetic by Clinton-era standards; wages barely kept up with inflation. Instead, corporate profits and the incomes of a tiny elite surged -- sucking up so much of the economy’s growth that only crumbs were left for everyone else.

Now the boom that wasn’t has gone bust -- and Americans, understandably, have lost confidence in the prospects for a return to real prosperity.

They have also, I’d suggest, lost confidence in the integrity of our economic institutions.

Early this decade, when the great corporate scandals broke -- Enron, WorldCom, and so on -- I expected big-business corruption to become a major political issue. It didn’t, partly because the march to war had the effect of changing the subject, partly, perhaps, because Americans weren’t ready to take a broadly negative view of the system that brought them the previous decade’s boom.

But my impression is that the subprime crisis -- with its revelation that titans of finance were dealing in funny money and its tales of failed executives receiving hundred-million-dollar going-away presents -- has resurrected the sense that something is rotten in the state of our economy. And this sense is adding to the general gloom.

The question is, can the next administration end America’s malaise?

Some of the causes of poor economic performance since 2000 are probably beyond any administration’s control. Raw materials were cheap in the 1990s, but in the years ahead the rise of China and other emerging economies will place increasing pressure on world supplies of oil, copper and so on, no matter what the next president does.

But reinvigorated regulation could help restore confidence to the financial system. A return to pro-labor policies could help raise real wages. Pro-competitive policies -- which are not the same thing as giving powerful businesses whatever they want -- could help America regain its leadership in information technology. In other words, there’s a lot that could be done to perk up our sagging confidence.

That won’t happen, however, unless the next president is someone who understands what went wrong. And right now, that doesn’t look at all certain.

April 17 - 23, 2008

What, exactly, is so wrong with Sen. Barack Obama suggesting that struggling, working-class families are susceptible to bitterness?

Both of his opponents have sought to gain political advantage by pouncing on his “bitter” remark, claiming its proof he is an elitist because, I suppose, he is not bitter, too. So have the legions of ostensibly non-partisan pundits.

Is this another misstep or unsavory revelation about Obama, along the lines of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright matter? Or is it another signal that Obama may be spinning out of the control of that a tight circle of handlers have worked so hard to maintain for years?

Following on his decision to embrace the Rev. Wright after all, while disagreeing with him only, Obama’s latest remarks in San Francisco about the frustrations and despair of the nation’s underclass mark a perceptible shift in his attitude.

In both cases, he appears to be tapping into the real emotional state of chronically poor, struggling, systematically abused and underrepresented folks, the scores of millions of them.

Far from being an elitist, this represents the opposite. While he can’t undo his personal history, he can and seems to be reaching out and channeling the raw emotions of real people who are hurting, allowing them to animate his sense of purpose.

The Washington Post’s newest dissembler, right-wing columnist Michael Gerson, is a man who’s been fixated in his twice-weekly opinions on Obama’s candidacy for a year. With a long arch-conservative pedigree, including stints at Wheaton College and the Heritage Foundation, and as an exaggeration-prone, provocative speechwriter in the Bush White House, Gerson is hardly interested in Obama’s well-being, except as Obama were a slavish puppet of a thinly-disguised so-called “non-partisan agenda.”

Gerson has intimated through his columns that some, at least, expected Obama to be just that going into the campaign, and that he got a lot more of a boost, based on that expectation, than he might ever have had otherwise. Obama has, after all, advocated relatively free market-friendly policies, such as concerns national health care coverage, than his Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Gerson is among those arch-conservatives who like the idea of couching their ideas and agendas in racially-diverse contexts, such as by promoting abstention while funding AIDS relief in Africa. He is active with the breakaway group that left the Episcopal Church, U.S.A., in protest of an openly-gay priest being named a bishop.

That group is now aligned with the menacing Anglican Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, who argues that gay people belong in jail just for being gay, among other extremist things.

In his book, published last year, Gerson unapologetically declares himself an “idealist,” favoring superimposing so-called “moral criteria” on top of gritty reality, against working from the ground up, so to speak, for economic opportunity and justice.

In his column published in yesterday’s Post, Gerson decries the fact that Obama apparently shared his “idealist” approach in 2006, but has abandoned it recently.

As evidence Obama was once “one of us,” Gerson cited a speech Obama gave to a “Call for Renewal” conference in Washington, D.C., in 2006, where Obama referenced American historical heroes who “were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause,” adding, “To say that men and women should not inject their ‘personal morality’ into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is, by definition, a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.” Last year, he hailed Obama’s candidacy as more of a movement, than a traditional campaign.

Now, however, Gerson wrote, Obama has “seemed to slip into a crude academic Marxism,” which includes the notion that “the deepest realities of politics are economic and not moral.” Obama has become, the jilted Gerson proclaims, “prideful.”

A lot of truth comes through, intentionally or not, in Gerson’s words, because they reflect the expectations of the nation’s true elitists, the uber-rich, regarding Obama.

Rue the thought, they hold, that Obama would actually stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those they’ve been systematically ripping off for generations. By evoking the highly-charged veritable cuss word, “Marxist,” he indicates that some of these elites may be getting genuinely nervous.

Gerson’s pain is evidence that Obama’s doing the right thing.  Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com

Page 11

PHILADELPHIA -- I’m not bitter.

I’m not writing this just because I grew up in a house with a gun, a strong Catholic faith, an immigrant father, brothers with anti-immigrant sentiments and a passion for bowling. (My bowling trophy was one of my most cherished possessions.)

My family morphed from Kennedy Democrats into Reagan Republicans not because they were angry, but because they felt more comfortable with conservative values. Members of my clan sometimes were overly cloistered. But they weren’t bitter; they were bonding.

They went to church every Sunday because it was part of their identity, not because they needed a security blanket.

Behind closed doors in San Francisco, elitism’s epicenter, Barack Obama showed his elitism, attributing the emotional, spiritual and cultural values of working-class, “lunch pail” Pennsylvanians to economic woes.

The last few weeks have not been kind to Hillary, but the endless endgame has not been kind to the Wonder Boy either. Obama comes across less like a candidate in Pennsylvania than an anthropologist in Borneo.

His mother got her Ph.D. in anthropology, studying the culture of Indonesia. And as Obama has courted white, blue-collar voters in “Deer Hunter” and “Rocky” country, he has often appeared to be observing the odd habits of the colorful locals, resisting as the natives try to fatten him up like a foie gras goose, sampling Pennsylvania beer in a sports bar with his tie tight, awkwardly accepting bowling shoes as a gift from Bob Casey, examining the cheese and salami at the Italian Market here as intriguing ethnic artifacts, purchasing Utz Cheese Balls at a ShopRite in East Norriton and quizzing the women working in a chocolate factory about whether they could possibly really like the sugary doodads.

He hasn’t pulled a John Kerry and asked for a Philly cheese steak with Swiss yet, but he has maintained a regal “What do the simple folk do to help them escape when they’re blue?” bearing, unable to even feign Main Street cred.

But Hillary did when she belted down a shot of Crown Royal whiskey with gusto at Bronko’s in Crown Point, Ind. Just as he couldn’t knock down the bowling pins, he can’t knock down Annie Oakley or “the girl in the race,” as her husband called her Tuesday -- the self-styled blue-collar heroine who reluctantly revealed a $100 million fortune

partially built on Bill’s shady connections.

Even when Hillary’s campaign collapsed around her and her husband managed to revive the bullets over Bosnia, Obama has still not been able to marshal a knockout blow -- or even come up with a knockout economic speech that could expand his base of support.

Even as Hillary grows weaker, her reputation for ferocity grows stronger. A young woman in the audience at a taping of “The Colbert Report” at Penn on Tuesday night asked Stephen Colbert during a warm-up: “Are you more afraid of bears or Hillary Clinton?”

Even though Democratic elders worry that the two candidates will terminally bloody each other, they each seem to be lighting their own autos-da-fe.

At match points, when Hillary fights like a cornered raccoon, Obama retreats into law professor mode. The elitism that Americans dislike is not about family money or connections -- JFK and W. never would have been elected without them. In the screwball movie genre that started during the Depression, there was a great tradition of the millionaire who was cool enough to relate to the common man -- like Cary Grant’s C.K. Dexter Haven in “The Philadelphia Story.”

What turns off voters is the detached egghead quality that they tend to equate with a wimpiness, wordiness and a lack of action -- the same quality that got the professorial and superior Adlai Stevenson mocked by critics as Adelaide. The new attack line for Obama rivals is that he’s gone from JFK to Dukakis. (Just as Dukakis chatted about Belgian endive, Obama chatted about Whole Foods arugula in Iowa.)

Obama did not grow up in cosseted circumstances. “Now, when is the last time you’ve seen a president of the United States who just paid off his loan debt?” Michelle Obama asked Tuesday at Haverford College, speaking in the shadow of the mansions depicted in “The Philadelphia Story.”

But his exclusive Hawaiian prep school and years in the Ivy League made him a charter member of the elite, along with the academic experts he loves to have in the room. As Colbert pointed out, the other wonky Ivy League lawyer in the primary just knows how to condescend better.

Michelle did her best on “The Colbert Report” Tuesday to shoo away the aroma of elitism.

She said of her family while she was growing up: “We had four spoons. And then my father got a raise at the plant and we got five spoons.

Page 12

California: The Huffington Post reports that the California Supreme Court may overturn Proposition 22, a referendum passed in 2000 that prohibits gay people from marrying. The article suggests that the court may also come out in favor of same-sex marriage as early as May 23.

Anticipating a favorable ruling, the right wing is working to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban gay marriage. However, these efforts were set back when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged to fight against the potential measure and called it “a total waste of time” at the Log Cabin Republicans National Convention.

The Log Cabin Republicans deserve credit for getting the governor’s stance on record. With the latest poll showing only 51% of Californians against gay marriage, Schwarzenegger’s support will likely embolden moderate fence sitters to side with equality.

If same-sex marriage becomes a reality in America’s largest and most influential state – and is not overturned by a Constitutional Amendment – it will be the biggest earthquake to hit in years. The sheer number of couples who will marry (and divorce, it is California, after all), will forever change this debate. It will cause a legal mess, as many of these married couples – often with children - migrate to states that still discriminate.

The consequences of such relocations will force the entire country to grapple with this issue. No longer will the debate be theoretical, but will focus on the discrimination endured by families whose married status vanishes the moment they cross state lines.

Florida: Now that “The Terminator” has spoken, it is time for Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to come out against a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage.

Florida’s GLBT advocates need to remind Crist that in 1978, Gov. Ronald Reagan opposed the Briggs Initiative, which would have banned gay and lesbian schoolteachers. The actions by Reagan and Schwarzenegger – certainly not considered wimps – ought to give Crist the political cover to stand for justice.

Love Won Out: In 1998, fifteen socially conservative groups launched a huge “ex-gay” advertising campaign that was billed as the “Normandy Landing in the cultural wars.” The attack began with full-page ads in The New York Times and USA Today. Now, ten years and several scandals later, it appears that the right wing may be reconsidering its strategy.

My organization, TruthWinsOut.org, joined local organizations at the Billy DeFrank Center in San Jose to counter Love Won Out, Focus on the Family’s ex-gay road show. The anti-gay conference only drew 700 participants, down from past events, which drew thousands of mainly confused parents who were dealing with children who had come out.

More important, this was the second consecutive symposium where Focus on the Family chose not to market to the general public. As in Memphis, the group’s usual “ex-gay” billboards did not hover over major highways. The group also did not solicit press from major media outlets until days before the event. Instead, they concentrated their marketing efforts in right wing churches.

The subdued atmosphere of Love Won Out follows a decision by the largest “ex-gay” group, Exodus International, to recall their Washington lobbyist. It is too early to know if the right wing is rethinking the ex-gay issue or simply regrouping to launch another major ad blitz. Perhaps, the twin disasters of Sen. Larry Craig and Rev. Ted Haggard may have severely eroded the already shaky credibility of the ex-gay industry.

Presidential Race: The presidential race is getting ridiculous.

To win the Oval Office, one has to pretend he or she isn’t a product of the Ivy League and has ambitions of joining a bowling league.

Obama’s critics are attacking him because in San Francisco he rightfully characterized some people as “bitter” and said they “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

This happens to be a true statement. Many blue collar Americans have helped to create their depressed reality by voting against their economic interests. They have consistently chosen conservative politicians who talk like “common folk” but vote for aristocratic policies.

When you elect people who choose finance over farming and mutual funds over manufacturing as the base of our economy, don’t blame the immigrants, liberals or homosexuals when your jobs are overseas.

The campaign reached a new level of absurdity when “John McMansion,” the Republican presidential nominee, who owns at least eight homes and is one of the wealthiest men in the U.S. Senate, said Obama’s comments were elitist.

April 17 - 23, 2008

For many Americans, Tuesday brought a flurry of action as people rushed to file their tax returns on time. This year Congress also got into the act, passing legislation to strengthen taxpayer protections and make the tax system work better for consumers. The “Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act” (H.R. 5719), passed by a bipartisan majority this week, is a critical bill that stops taxpayer harassment by ending the private collection of federal taxes, cracks down on identify theft and tax fraud and enables the IRS to use its resources to help consumers access the system more easily.

In recent years, the IRS has been using private debt collectors to collect federal income taxes. These outsourced collectors often expose taxpayers to harassment, abusive calling, and violations of taxpayer rights and disclosure protections. To date, this program has cost taxpayers nearly $50 million over what they’ve been able to gather in uncollected tax revenues. It seems this is due to the huge bounties paid to these private debt collectors. What’s clear is that this outsourcing of our tax collection system is wasting tax payer’s money.

H.R. 5719 scraps this flawed process, returning a core government function to the hands of the professional and capable civil service.

With regards to the scourge of identity theft and tax fraud, H.R. 5719 takes the proactive

step of requiring the IRS to notify a taxpayer when an unauthorized use of their identity is uncovered during the course of a tax fraud investigation. It also cracks down on misleading websites that seek to obtain personal information by imitating the IRS; increasing both civil and criminal penalties on abusers. These con artists are literally bilking consumers out of thousands of dollars in tax refunds each year and tougher penalties are needed to get them to stop.

Finally, H.R. 5719 provides consumer friendly tweaks to the tax code, a number of which are especially helpful to low income families. Under the legislation, the IRS’ ability to make sure that people know they are entitled to tax refunds or to payments under the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is strengthened. In recent years approximately 25 percent of households eligible for the EITC did not claim it--totaling approximately $8 billion in unclaimed earned income credits.

For taxpayers who would benefit from the use of low income tax clinics, H.R. 5719 increases funding for the clin-

ics and permits the IRS to refer taxpayers to their services— something currently prohibited.

It further clarifies that the IRS can use its website to publicize unclaimed taxpayer refunds.

A final provision in H.R. 5719, the “Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act” would eliminate the outdated and cumbersome requirement on cell phone reporting. This reporting requirement says that by law, taxpayers need to comb through their business-issued cell phone records to determine which calls were business-related and which were personal calls. It’s a difficult, time-consuming requirement; one that is not consumer friendly and needs repealing.

Tax time is never easy. But we can take some of the burden off taxpayers by making this House-passed bill law.

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 13

“Hey, guys. Come around back.

There’s someone home.” It was early evening when the radio crackled that advice. Fairfax County’s Strike Team was checking out a report of multiple occupancy at a house in the Falls Church area. I accompanied the Strike Team on a series of investigations one evening last week, and observed how diligently the team members approach their work.

Repeated knocks on the front door drew no response, so two of the team members walked around back and found another door. A young man answered, and allowed entry into the downstairs level. It was quite dim; the only overhead light was a small white Christmas tree bulb (really!), which barely illuminated the entryway. The young man said he had lived there for three months, and showed us his room. Further investigation showed three more bedrooms. One was completely empty; the owner’s sister has moved out. Another room was occupied by an older gentleman working on a laptop at his desk. He said he had lived there for the past year. A fourth bedroom was locked; the owner’s brother was at work, the team later found out.

The Strike Team focuses on life safety, such as adequate access and emergency egress, proper stairs and railings, utility hookups that meet Code requirements, so it was quite a surprise for the Fire Marshal to discover a two-burner stove attached to a propane gas tank, the kind used for outdoor barbeques. Propane tanks must never be used or stored inside a dwelling, and this one had a loose connection, too. The Fire Marshal cleared everyone out of the way, uncoupled the tank, and placed it some distance away in the backyard.

Three smoke alarms were visible, but none was in working order, despite having workable batteries in them.

By now, family members who own the house had come home from work. The Fire Marshal, who speaks fluent Spanish, advised the owner -of the various violations 1 18:40 12/13/01 and provided a written notice that described in detail the remedies needed. Inspectors also found unpermitted construction of an extra bedroom on the back

deck. It probably started out as a storage area and was rehabbed for the grandfather’s use. The elderly man was advised that he could not stay in the room, which had no windows, and that he needed to sleep elsewhere in the house. The preliminary investigation indicates that the home is occupied by related persons (father, mother, children, grandfather, aunt and uncle). While there are no Zoning restrictions on how many family members may occupy a house, many find a need to rent rooms for additional income. In these situations, the Zoning Ordinance places a restriction of up to two unrelated roomers or boarders, and requires that the homeowner obtain an approved Home Occupancy Permit from the county for any rental rooms. The home will be scheduled for re-inspection by the Strike Team to ensure that the violations are corrected.

A total of six homes were on the Strike Team’s inspection list that evening. The team was able to enter two, and speak with residents at two others.

The remaining two houses appeared to be unoccupied, so the Strike Team will return to investigate those at a later date. The work is thorough, methodical, and very time-consuming. The single investigation described in detail above took nearly two hours to complete, and that did not include all the preliminary work as to history of the legal ownership, previous zoning actions, etc. The need for a third Strike Team in the county is confirmed by the caseload and the demands of the community to resolve the issues. I am very glad that the Board of Supervisors will endorse the additional $1 million that Chairman Connolly and I asked for this important work.

Don’t forget: the Recycling Roadshow will be at the Mason District Govern-mental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale, this Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. You may bring up to five medium-sized boxes of personal documents for shredding, and recycle your old computer and AB devices85 peripheral at the sameDolev time.

*126980*

Supervisor Penny Gross may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov 

South Capitol Like Camden, Street some baseline seats Transformation face the outfield Remembering rather than being my youthful and slightly turned infrequent visits toward home plate; to the old Griffith some fans have to Stadium at 7th turn their bodies St. and Florida to see home plate.

By Jim Scott Avenue, I have And during my last been looking forvisit, the imposward to an exciting sible flashed on the new look in major scoreboard: a batleague baseball ting average higher in the District of than the resulting Columbia. I was not disap- on-base percentage. pointed.

Club seats, nice restauIn the past three weeks, I rants and somewhat shorter have had the opportunity to fences, plus uneven fence visit Nationals Stadium three distances that make outfield times. It is a great improve- flies and ricochets off fences ment in every way from RFK more treacherous for outfieldStadium and from most other ers all add to the excitement stadiums I have seen. I recom- of a great new addition to mend a visit before warmer Southeast Washington. days—and more wins—make A community being built it much more popular place.

Amazingly, significant The spectacular scoreboard change is already undercatches your eye as you walk way in the neighboring area. in. Fans have much more room The Nationals Stadium has to stroll around the ground sparked the beginning of a level mezzanine while watch- revival. The warehouses, ing the game—and eating and junkyards and vacant lots that drinking. All levels are much characterized the area a few more accessible with eleva- months ago are undergoing tors and ample restroom facil- transformation reminiscent ities with shorter lines. of the Verizon Center area.

And the field is beautiful.

Vacant lots are surrounded Wide varieties of food by murals depicting condos, and drink should allow the retail stores and office within handling large numbers more a very short walk to a major quickly than RFK once the league baseball game 81 days initial shakedown for the new of the year—and more when staff is over. the Nats make the playoffs!

For those of us who had Good seats are available grown accustomed to rickety throughout the stadium, and seats with no cup holders, the Navy Yard Metro Station and a scoreboard with poor is virtually across the street replay capabilities and limited from the gates. I hope to see information, the new facili- you there. ties are very impressive. Seats One off-key note are closer to the playing field When Mayor Fenty, who than similar RFK seats. consistently opposed the new Some kinks need to be stadium and the funding necworked out—and undoubted- essary to bring major league ly will. Scoreboard replays are baseball back to his city, took too infrequent; pitch speeds the microphone on opening are not always flashed on the day to celebrate the occasion, screen-and no pitch descrip- he failed to recognize the tions (curve, slider, fastball) leadership of former Mayor are offered as at Camden Tony Williams in his successYards. And the much-herald- ful efforts to do so. ed views of the U.S. Capitol are only available from the more altitudinous seats.

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American University Professor Frames Science On Friday, April 18, Matthew Nisbet, Ph.D, an assistant professor at American University, will be giving a talk on Framing Science for Public Debate at the National Science Foundation (4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) from 1 – 3 p.m. Nisbet will speak on the issue of “framing” science, where scientists balance remaining true to science with making the scientific issues personally meaningful. The talk is being presented by the National Capital Area Skeptics. By April

April 17 - 23, 2008

16, those interested must register for a guest badge by e-mailing ncas-april18@ncas.org or by calling 301-587-3827. The event is free and open to the public.

FCHS Jaguar 5K Run/ Walk The Falls Church High School (7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church) is holding its 3rd annual Jaguar 5K Run/Walk and Kids 1 Mile Fun Run on Saturday, April 19. The Kids 1 Mile Fun Run starts at 8 a.m. and the 5K begins at 8:30 a.m.

There will also be a Fitness Fair

at the event. Registration information can be found at www. jaguar5k.com. For more information, call 703-207-4023.

Heart’s Ease: A Renaissance Celebration Creative Cauldron and Falls Church Arts are joining together on Saturday, April 19 to celebrate the April birthdays of Leonardo da Vinci and William Shakespeare with a nighttime concert of Renaissance music at the Center of Spiritual Enlightenment (222 N. Washington St., Falls Church) at 7:30 p.m. Five of

the Washington area’s leading early music performers will be presenting popular pieces from the Renaissance era, as a part of the year-long DaVinci Passport Series. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.creativecauldron.org.

Pre-Travel Soccer Training For those future soccer stars looking for a little more training before diving into the travel soccer schedule, Chantilly Soccer Club and FC Virginia have announced a new program for boys and girls ages 6 – 8. Players will receive professional quality “pre-travel” soccer training while participating in existing recreational leagues. Registration is open for the six-week program on Sunday afternoons that begins on April 27. For more information, visit www.fcvirginia.com/ academy or call 703-433-1887.

Learn T’ai Chi for HIV/ AIDS Benefit

ANDREW KOTYK, a senior at McLean High School, received his Eagle Scout award at a court of honor on Saturday, April 12 at the Scout House. He is shown with his parents, Myron and Debbie Kotyk. Andrew earned 39 merit badges during his Boy Scout career and took part in a canoeing expedition in the Adirondacks. He will attend Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall. (Photo: Courtesy Richard Lobb)

Environmentally Friendly Meets Ae s t h e t i c a l l y P l e a s i n g .

Coming Soon F A L L S C H U RC H , VA

One holiday you probably didn’t know about in April, coming up on Wednesday, April 23, is Adopt a Library Day. That’s right, the governors of Virginia and Nebraska and the South Dakota state legislature proclaimed Wednesday Adopt a Library Day to celebrate www.AdoptALibrary. org and to draw attention to things to be done for libraries. AdoptALibrary.org aims to facilitate donations to schools and libraries, in prisons and around the world by not accepting donations themselves, instead siphoning the donations right to the schools. For more information, contact Lynn Gaubatz at adoptalibrary@aol. com or at 703-207-9450.

Green Apple Comes to D.C. America’s largest Earth Day festival comes to town this weekend as Washington D.C. welcomes the Green Apple Music Festival to the National Mall on Sunday, April 20. Started two years ago by music producer Peter Shapiro and Relix Magazine, the festival is an assortment of musical performances in venues across America, culminating in largescale outdoor free festivals in eight cities on Sunday. Starting at 12 p.m., the National Mall will be rocking with Umphrey’s McGee, an acoustic set from O.A.R., Gov’t Mule and a headlining act from The Roots & Friends. Featured speakers include comedian Chevy Chase, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and actor Edward Norton. For more informa-

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On Tuesday, April 22, Health Matters Massage (44e B Carlisle Dr., Herndon) is hosting a fundraiser for Inova Junipar’s HIV/AIDS Program by holding a T’ai Chi class from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Taught by instructor Ed Bilanchone, who has taught the Yang Short Form for 12 years, T’ai Chi is a calming series of movements designed to boost energy and ease tension. The suggested donation for the program is $25, with all proceeds going to Juniper’s patient care fund.

For more information, call 703568-9224.

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April 17 - 23, 2008

tion, visit www.greenapplemusicfestival.org.

Falls Church Episcopal Celebrates New Priest Falls Church Episcopal recently appointed the Rev. Michael Pipkin to Priest in Charge of the church, after he served four years of active duty as a Navy Chaplain, including time in Iraq. Pipkin aims to focus primarily on youth and young adult education while figuring out ways to reach out to the community. On Sunday, April 20, the church is holding a Celebration Service and luncheon after its 11 a.m. mass, which the retired Revered Peter James Lee, Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia will attend.

For more information, please contact Parish Communications Director Robin Fetsch at 703532-8818 or at robin@fetsch. com.

Falls Church Celebrates Arbor Day Falls Church City plans on celebrating Arbor Day on Saturday, April 19 with its

Page 15

116th Arbor Day Celebration, reflecting on the years since the first such celebration. The event is taking place at Frady Park (300 Block of E. Broad St. at Fairfax St., Falls Church), where the event has taken place every year since 1892. The event will feature an “Arbor Day Reflections” reenactment by the Falls Church Victorian Society and a presentation of the City of Falls Church’s 30th consecutive Tree City USA award by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

The event is free and open to the public, beginning at 3 p.m.

For more information, call the City Arborist at 703-248-5183, x711.

FC Runner Named Rookie of the Week Falls Church native Connor Ahlborn has been tearing up the Liberty League in track and field in her freshman campaign as a runner for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. She was recently named Liberty League Rookie of the Week, the third straight week in which she’s won the award.

Ahlborn helped her team to

TOM WHIPPLE, author of the News-Press’ wildly-popular weekly Peak Oil column, was treated to a party marking a special birthday in Arlington last weekend by his wife, State Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple. (Photo: News-Press)

a second place finish at the Liberty League Championships which her school hosted, finishing in the top five in all four events she participated in, including a second place finish in the shot put and javelin competitions. Ahlborn graduated from The Peddie School in Falls Church.

Fairfax City’s Spotlight on the Arts Fairfax City’s Spotlight on the Arts is rapidly approaching and Fairfax High School is looking to become involved by presenting art works of students as part of the spotlight. On Saturday, April 19, Fairfax High School is holding an opening reception for the art show from 2 – 4 p.m. on the first floor of the Fairfax Old Town Hall (3999 University Dr., Fairfax). The show is sponsored by the City of Fairfax and the Fairfax Art League. For more information, call 703-352-2787, ext. 2.

Fairfax Teaching Assistant Wins Education Award The Virginia Education Association recently named Margaret Panik of Bren Mar Park Elementary School in Fairfax County as the winner of their 2008 Education Support Professional (ESP) award.

Panik, an instructional assistant at Bren Mar Park, was selected earlier this year as one of only 20 ESPs nationwide to participate in the National Education Association’s “Leaders for Tomorrow” program. She serves as a member of Fairfax County’s Superintendent’s Support Employee Advisory Committee and has been working closely with the Northern Virginia Labor Council on a living wage campaign for local employees.

GMHS International Baccalaureate Art Show The International Baccalaureate (IB) students at

George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) are pleased to present their annual art show on the week of April 21 – 25.

The show is open during school hours on the auditorium stage throughout the whole week, with a special public viewing on Wednesday, April 23 from 7 – 9 p.m. An opening celebration of the show is occurring on Thursday, April 24 from 7 – 9 p.m., where refreshments will be served.

Correction Last week in News and Notes, there was an error in a story about a faculty basketball game at George C. Marshall High School. The staff of Marshall did not participate in the game.

Instead, staff members from Shrevewood Elementary School and Lemon Road Elementary School faced off in a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. We apologize for the misprint.

VIRGINIA GOV. TIM KAINE, speaking at his town meeting at the Luther Jackson Middle School last Saturday, had among the over 200 attendees a delegation from the City of Falls Church in the front row. Left to right in the front row: Mayor Robin Gardner, Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry and City Councilman Dave Snyder. See story, elsewhere this edition. (Photo:

News-Press)

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Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deli at Lazy Sundae has opened at 112 N. West Street in Falls Church.

The ice cream parlorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new deli, named for the father of owners Rebecca Tax and David Tax, will now offer all day breakfast, cheese steaks, Reubenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and more from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Lazy Sundae, known for its unique homemade ice cream flavors as well as its sundaes, banana splits, and array of other desserts, is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week. The Tax brother and sister team also own Clare and Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beach Shack (www.clareanddons.com) located at 130 N. Washington Street in Falls Church. *** Pie-tanza has opened in the West Falls Plaza at 1216 W. Broad Street. The locally owned independent restaurant serves gourmet wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza, fresh oversized salads, authentic Italian entrees, and hot & cold subs, specialty desserts and espresso drinks, all made with the finest ingredients. Pie-tanza serves beer and wine on premise. Owned and operated by Karen Waltman and Ed McKee co-owners, Pie-tanza also has a location in the Lee Harrison Shopping Center in Arlington. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.pie-tanza.com. *** Monkey Business is now offering special events for kids. These events will include special demo classes for our new programs, including Art, Ballet, and Spanish. In addition, Greta Gonzalez, a talented face painter, will be visiting during an Open Play Tuesday April 15 at 4 p.m. Monkey Business is located at 442 S. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information about Monkey Business and their programs and events for children, visit www.monkeybiz4kids.com. *** Vantage Fitness has launched a new program to help kids stay or get healthy.

Vantage Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a four-week program that assists youths in speed, agility, strength, flexibility and special awareness for kids ages 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 13. The next session will begin May 8. To register contact Yvonne Quinones at Yvonne@vantage-fitness.com.

Additionally, Vantage Fitness is now also offering a free running club co-sponsored

by Metro Run & Walk. All levels are invited â&#x20AC;&#x201C; stop by Vantage Fitness at 8 a.m.

Saturday mornings and get running! Vantage is located at 402 West Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information, call 703-241-0565 or visit www.vantage-fitness. com *** There are just a few more days left before Bratt DĂŠcor, the Falls Church retailer of baby cribs, baby furniture, kids furniture and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accessories closes its doors April 19, 2008. Founded by Mary and Stephen Bauer, Bratt Decor opened in September of 2007. Despite being a favorite retailer of celebrities with a brisk internet business and popular stores, the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boutique in Idylwood Shopping Plaza is closing due to poor sales. The store is offering 30% off on all items now through its closing. Bratt DĂŠcor is located at 7505 Leesburg Pike. For more information, visit www.brattdecor.com. *** Kool Smiles, a network of dental offices that provide general density exclusively to children and young adults (1-20 years of age), is hosting a ribbon cutting in conjunction with the Falls Church Chamber of Commerceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly Networking Mixer Monday, April 21 from 5:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 p.m. The general public is invited to enjoy refreshments and learn about Kool Smilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mission to expand access to high quality dental care for underserved communities. Kool Smiles is located at 6537 B Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church. For more information, visit http://www.koolsmilespc.com. *** The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Falls Church City Council Candidate Debate on business issues from 7:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22 at the Teen Center in the FC Community Center. Candidates will provide brief opening remarks and then address questions on issues important to the business community.

Confirmed are five of the seven candidates: Nader Baroukh, Margaret Housen, Lawrence Webb and incumbents Robin Gardner and Lindy Hockenberry. The public is invited to attend this free event. Please note that this is a date change from what was previously reported. *** The Falls Church City Economic Development Authority is hosting an informational panel discussion on the City Charter Change Referendum at the Falls Church Community Center from 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23. The Referendum, which would set a maximum for residential square footage in mixed use projects on commercial property, will appear on the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s May 6 ballot. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Falls Church EDA office at 703-248-5491. *** The Virginia Downtown Development Association is hosting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Green Building Techniques in Historic Preservationâ&#x20AC;? on May 29 at the Durant Center in Alexandria.

The workshop will address the challenges of â&#x20AC;&#x153;greeningâ&#x20AC;? existing buildings and the benefits and responsibilities inherent in doing so. A tour of downtown Alexandria and a welcome reception will take place the evening prior. For more information or to register, visit www.downtownvirginia.org. ď ľ The Business News & Notes section is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@ fallschurchchamber.org

April 17 - 23, 2008

During the past week, the surge in oil prices continued with crude, gasoline and diesel prices all hitting new highs.

U.S. gasoline consumption may be down by a few tenths of a percent (which seems logical) or then again, it may be up a bit in recent weeks depending on which numbers you are reading. Our Presidential candidates, or at least their handlers, are beginning to grasp that we have a problem here and are beginning to make proposals.

We have clearly entered the silly season, for all three major candidates now have endorsed the notion that the U.S. should stop buying oil for its strategic reserve in order to force prices back down. This might sound sensible until you learn that the U.S. is only squirreling away eight ten-thousandths of the world’s production each day. The Republican candidate for President is now calling for a “holiday” that would suspend the 18.4 cent a gallon federal gas tax. This proposal of course will never pass, but if it should, the hoped-for jump in gasoline sales will quickly move gas prices higher. At a time when prices are rising about 5 cents a week, cutting taxes is unlikely to boost Hummer sales.

Up on Capitol Hill a lot of folks are worried, but as yet few have mustered the courage to propose realistic solutions. Some are beating on the oil companies and are calling for the umpteenth investigation of gas prices. Others want to yank the $18 billion annual tax break the oil industry gets and move the money to researching renewables. The rest just want to increase drilling for oil somewhere – usually in the Atlantic or Alaska -- without mentioning that at best it would take decades to produce the oil should some be found. No one wants to mention that our energy crisis now seems months, or perhaps less, away.

It is hard to really blame the politicians. As long as most of us cling to the hope that high gas prices will go away or that a painless silver bullet that will solve our energy problem is just around the corner, few candidates for public office are ready to propose what are thought to

Page 17

be “painful solutions” to our problems. They still shoot messengers.

The great irony in all this is that the problem is simple to understand. World crude oil production has been essentially flat for the last three years while 1.3 billion Chinese, 1.1 billion Indians, and another quarter billion or so living in oil exporting countries continue to increase their oil consumption at a prodigious pace.

Incidentally, the Chinese just announced that their diesel imports during the first quarter of 2008 were up seven fold

over 2007.

Currently, the real issue is how long it will take the American people to understand the seriousness of a problem that will require decades of pain, discomfort and inconvenience to mitigate. When gasoline and diesel prices go up a few more dollars a gallon, or when permanent shortages develop, everybody will get the message and media will start to talk coherently.

Until then, understanding will be incremental and painfully slow.

Every now and again, however, a voice of reason is beginning to appear in the mainstream media. On cable business news, every 500th guest now speaks of looming oil shortages in terms of inadequate supply to meet growing demand. This message is immediately drowned out by wave after wave of talking heads explaining that now is a great time to find bargains in the equity markets and high oil prices are caused by a temporary surge in speculation.

In general, there seems to be progress in that most, but not all, of the major national newspapers will now acknowledge that world oil production will peak some day. Rather than presenting imminent oil depletion as a fact, the major papers are writing “balanced” stories in which somebody says peak oil is imminent, somebody says it is 40 years away, and wise expert arbitrator splits the difference saying

oil supply problems are 10 to 15 years out. The reader of course accepts all this, breathes a sigh of relief that he still has 15 years and goes about his business.

A poll of Congress, their staffs and senior government officials is likely to produce similar results – world oil production will indeed peak, but that day is not close enough that I have to risk public ire by proposing painful and unpopular solutions to my successor’s problem.

Unfortunately for the future of America, The Washington Post, which is read religiously by everyone of consequence in the federal government, has been among the slowest in acknowledging that a paradigm-changing worldwide oil shortage is imminent.

Last week, with oil pushing above $110 a barrel and gasoline prices setting new records each day, The Post felt impelled to say something about the issue. After telling us that prices are indeed going up and the Presidential candidates are coming up with inadequate solutions, The Post cites one of the many pronouncements by the CEO of Shell oil company, Jeroen van der Veer, to the effect that “The fundamentals are no problem.” “He blamed the lack of spare oil production and refining capacity, and tensions in the Middle East, for keeping prices high.”

The Post adds the coup de grace with “Shell’s Van der Veer said he expects a crunch in energy markets in 10 or 15 years.” The rest of the story is taken up with how speculators and hedge funds fleeing the falling dollar are driving up oil above its “true” prices which is a few dollars above the cost of production.

The Post suggests this “true” value could be anywhere from $10 to $60 a barrel, depending on which oil field it is coming from.

So there you have it. Our national leaders now know that the peak oil crisis is 10 or 15 years away and that speculation is largely responsible for your soon-to-be-$4 a gallon gasoline.  Tom Whipple is a retired government analyst and has been following the peak oil issue for several years.

Page 18

Clad in red, rocking Mohawks and still buzzing about last Friday’s fantastic finish, one in which likely MVP Alex Ovechkin stole a Game One win off the sticks of the Philadelphia Flyers, the rejuvenated Caps fans were eager to see their equally reborn team continue their spate of success on Sunday. Enlivened by an energy that sent them sprinting up the stairs of the Metro exit, they streamed into the Verizon Center and watched as their Capitals swarmed the Flyers for the first five minutes, dominating play and creating power play opportunities … only to end the period, and the game down 2-0.

Tuesday was no better for the Caps, who may shortly find their season ended by their own mistakes. A giveaway by defenseman Milan Jurcina allowed the Flyers to expand a one-goal lead to a twogoal cushion. As the Caps rallied late in the third to draw the score to 4-3, a mind-boggling blue-line decision by Shaone Morrisonn allowed the Flyers’ Mike Richards to steal the puck and storm the crease, earning a penalty shot after being tripped by the Caps’ Mike Green. Game over.

Consecutive duds are an anomaly for the Caps. Since Boudreau has assumed the head coaching duties in late November, the Caps have only lost consecutive games seven times. Now they must halt this skid in a hurry or they’ll be sent home by the middle of the weekend.

The Flyers have dictated the game to the Caps for nearly the entirety of the series. They’ve planted players in front of goaltender Cristobal Huet, they’ve outworked the Caps for loose pucks and they’ve taken advantage of every opportunity the Caps have given them by way of ill-timed turnovers.

By comparison, the Caps have seemed lethargic at times.

One vignette on Sunday perfectly illustrated the club’s placid demeanor. Trailing 2-0 late in the first period, the Caps set up on the power play, their fourth of the game’s opening 20 minutes. A nice give-and-go move

by Nicklas Backstrom resulted in a hard shot on Flyers goalie Martin Biron. Biron couldn’t control the rebound, nor could the three Flyers defenders who stood around the loose puck tipping it to one another. No one in a Capitals jersey even flinched while the puck rattled around right in front of the crease. After that scene, the 2-0 outcome was hardly surprising.

It was an undying energy and grit that helped turn the Caps’ movie-script ending to the regu-

April 17 - 23, 2008

lar season from reel to real. True, Ovechkin scored 11 goals over the last 12 games, but equally important were the contributions of Brooks Laich (four goals over that period) or Matt Cooke.

Washington needs to rediscover that hard-working edge and to do so, they can start small.

Daniel Briere has perfectly embodied the Flyers’ game plan these first three contests. He’s pesky, he’s bothersome and he’s highly skilled when given a scoring opportunity. What’s more, he’s willing to make the sacrifice to win. On Tuesday, Briere, all fivefoot-nothing of him, repeatedly screened Huet in front of the Caps’ net, once leading to a Flyers goal. The guy is a pixie on the ice, and someone in a Caps’ sweater needs to put him on his butt.

In a truly just world, Boudreau would be able to point to Briere, say something simple to hulking enforcer Donald Brashear, like “I’ll see you in five minutes,” and a few moments later a right hook would put the Flyers’ pest in his place. But Briere is too smart for that. That’s not his game. He’d never fight someone on the level. Last season, when Ovechkin was getting the better of Briere with body checks, Briere retaliated by spearing Ovechkin in the groin.

Briere’s a bother. He won’t look you in the eye when he’s messing with you. Instead, he’ll jostle the helmet of Huet when his back is turned. Kind of makes you want to take a twominute retaliatory minor penalty just thinking about it, eh?

The Caps can’t do that. They have to shrug off the cheap shots, put him on the ice when he parks himself in front of Huet and pray that at some point that Cooke can give Briere his comeuppance with an open-ice body check. But they also need to learn from him.

Briere can be one of the prettiest playmakers in the league, but in the playoffs he has been willing to do whatever it takes to win and his energy level has been phenomenal. He’s exactly what the Caps should aspire to in Game Four tonight.

At the end of the regular season, the Caps made Lazarus look like a light sleeper, storming back from the dead as they did. The grit, the guts, the electricity was unmatched by any team in the league this season. Washington’s raucous home crowd will help in Game Five, but to make that one matter, the Caps will have to find their own spark tonight.  Mike Hume may be emailed at mhume@fcnp.com.

For the first 24 minutes, the Madison County Mountaineers acquitted themselves well Tuesday night against what is expected to again be another dominant boys varsity soccer squad from George Mason High School. But as the first half wound to a close, the Mustangs opened up a twogoal lead they would not relinquish, as Mason cruised to a 50 final and a 2-0 record to start play in the Bull Run District.

Sophomore Nick Smirniotopoulos led the scoring for George Mason, finishing off a picture-perfect cross through the goal box by fellow sophomore Teddy Rueckert for his second goal of the latter half and his third of the night.

Smirniotopoulos tallied just a few minutes earlier as well, working his way left to right across the top of the 18-yard box before scorching a shot over the outstretched arms of the leaping Madison County keeper.

The Mustangs didn’t make a mark on the scoreboard until the 24-minute mark in the first half, but then struck twice over the next five minutes to begin to build what would become an insurmountable lead. After winning three consecutive corner kicks, the Mustangs finally put the ball in the back of the net when junior midfielder Anthony Andrianarison pounced on a loose-ball rebound. Just over three minutes later, Smirniotopoulos notched his first goal of the night, collecting a long pass to midfield and

then warding off his defender for roughly 30 yards before launching a shot into the net.

The Mountaineers made freshman Mason goalkeeper Tyler Back work to earn the shutout.

Following Smirniotopoulos’s first-half goal, Back corralled a dangerous free kick from just outside the 18-yard box that snuck over the Mason wall of defenders.

With the final seconds of the first half ticking away, the Mountaineers finally managed to put a ball behind Back, lobbing a shot over the charging keeper. The high-arcing shot was turned aside by a streaking Andrianarison and the half ended at 2-0.

Andrianarison added his second goal in the game’s final quarter to comfortably salt away the win for Mason.

The 5-0 win was the sec-

What had been a solid week for the Mason High varsity baseball team had a sour end at Madison County Tuesday night. Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the young Mustang pitching staff, stalwart through much of this season, faltered. Walks and hits mounted, as did the Madison run total. The eight-run sixth triggered the slaughter rule and sent Mason to its first Bull Run District loss of the season.

“Despite the loss to Madison, I’m please with our progress,” Mason Head Coach Adam Amerine said. “I feel we are getting better each day. Some of our kids are still neophytes when it comes to varsity experience, so we will have our bad stretches at times.”

The stretch heading into the Madison County contest was anything but bad for the Mustangs,

ond in two district games for the Mustangs who topped Manassas Park on the road last Friday night. Senior Antonio Randrianasolo struck for two goals to lead Mason.

Through the first two games, Mason has outshot its district opponents by a margin of 37-5.

Overall the team’s record stands at 3-2, with Mason’s only losses coming to AAA J.E.B. Stuart and regional power Potomac Falls.

“I’m very pleased with the progress we’ve made during the run of play and, especially, with set pieces,” Iwanicki said.

The Mustangs next host Strasburg on April 18, before hitting the road for an April 22 date against Rappahannock, a match that could foretell the final standings of the Bull Run District.

who had rattled off three straight wins, including victories over Briar Woods on March 31 and Manassas Park on April 11.

Senior Mike Straub paced the Mustangs on the mound against Manassas Park, allowing just two hits and no earned runs, while racking up five strikeouts. Mason met with little success at the plate, earning only three hits off of the Cougars’ Gipper Breeden, but capitalized on a few defensive miscues to provide the necessary margin of victory.

Lonnie Millard, Andrew Lieber and Evans Mandes all drove in a run in the Mason win.

Mason will need to rekindle that hot streak when it faces defending state champion Strasburg.

“Who knows how it will finish in May,”Amerine said. “We just need to continue to worry about ourselves and get better each day.”

April 17 - 23, 2008

The George Mason boys lacrosse team experienced the bitter taste of defeat for the first time this week, but not before registering another win in their already impressive season.

On Friday night, the Mustangs upset Heritage High School in a back-and-forth Dulles District battle, 12-11. Heritage broke open an early lead, but the Mustangs were not to be discouraged. They fought back in the second half, using their defense anchored by seniors Sean Mondragon and Russell Intermaggio to clamp down on Heritage’s high-octane offense. The teams traded the lead throughout the fourth quarter before a few clutch saves by senior goalie Ewan Oglethorpe (19 saves total) and a last-minute goal by Yates Jordan propelled the Mustangs to the victory. As of Friday night, the Mustangs were an undefeated 7-0 and had already won more games this season than they did total last season.

George C. Marshall Boys Soccer After an up-and-down week last week, the Statesmen of George C. Marshall High School found themselves in two hard-fought battles over the past seven days, both of which ultimately resulted in ties after an overtime period.

First, the Statesmen tied the visiting Langley Saxons, 2-2, on Friday night. Trailing 2-1 after a first-half goal by Statesmen midfielder Brendan Stringer, Marshall sophomore Ajay Amin capitalized on a free kick, tying the game.

The Statesmen headed to Edison on Tuesday night for an out-of-district match and again Statesmen’s opponent scored the first goal of the game, putting Marshall at an early disadvantage.

The Statesmen battled back, scoring the next two goals of the game off a corner kick from freshman Julian Smith and a breakaway from senior Gregory Goldbach, only to watch as Edison tied the game with 12 minutes left. Edison received a penalty kick with 10 minutes left to play, but could not squeeze the ball past senior goalie Wally Al-Kakahn, sending the game into overtime. The Statesmen managed the only shot on goal during the OT period, but could not finish, resulting in their second straight 2-2 tie game.

The Statesmen next travel to district rival Madison on Friday night at 7 p.m.

McLean Softball The Highlanders claimed three straight games in convincing fashion, beginning last Tuesday night, when the girls welcomed South Lakes to

Page 19

Starting a season 7-0, however, firmly plants a bulls-eye on your back, as the Mustangs found out on Monday night, when they traveled to Ashburn to take on the Spartans out of Broad Run High School. Mason ran straight into a Spartan buzzsaw, losing 19-9 in a game that was much closer than the score suggests. The Mustang offense came out sluggish yet again, and Broad Run capitalized by taking an early six-goal lead. The Mustangs, looking for some offensive magic, narrowed the deficit to two goals early in the fourth quarter, but could not capitalize from there.

The Spartans tore the Mustang defense apart, scoring most of their goals on fast breaks and transitions.

Penalties also played a factor towards the end of the game, as the Mustangs began playing man-down defense much of the time, allowing the Spartans to blow the game wide open.

The Mustangs look to avenge their first loss of the season at home tonight (Thursday), as they welcome Potomac Falls High School at 7:30 p.m.

their field before walloping them, 15-0.

They kept the momentum rolling the next day, heading to Thomas Jefferson for another blowout, this time 10-1 in favor of the Lady Highlanders.

On Friday, McLean girls met some resistance from George C. Marshall High School on the road before emerging victorious, 4-1.

Finally, on Monday night, the Lady Highlanders did just enough to squeak

by W.T. Woodson at home, winning 43 for their fourth district win in a row.

The Lady Highlanders have their next game on Friday against Stone Bridge on the road at 6:30 p.m.

McLean Crew Both the boys and girls crew teams from McLean were in action last weekend, as the men headed to the Smokey Jacobs Regatta at Occoquan Reservoir on Saturday while the girls traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the Manny Flicks/Horvat Series Regatta on Sunday.

The boys eight won second place after an explosive final 200 meters, while the boys lightweight four boat edged Woodson for first place.

The girls varsity and junior varsity boats dominatied in Philadelphia. The varsity four won their heat, while the varsity quad won its heat by 30 seconds. The women’s lightweight eight boat came in third place in its heat, and the junior four placed 16th in a timed start, but finished only five seconds behind the winner.

The McLean women are next headed to the ISA Championship Regatta this weekend in Mercer, N.J. — Bryan Toporek

Falls Church opened its spring baseball season with a spirited celebration of the league’s 60th anniversary. On hand at Westgate Park to help initiate the season were Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner, Delegate Jim Scott and more than 425 young players ranging in ages from 6-12.

League President Cheryl McMillen welcomed the visiting dignitaries, players and their families by reminding them that Falls Church is the oldest league in the state of Virginia.

“These young athletes exemplify what is best about our community and our country,” McMillen said, addressing the crowd. “The skills and character they develop while playing Little League baseball will serve them well as they have move on in life. We are proud of all of them.”

Filling up the entire field in their colorful uniforms, the young players responded enthusiastically when several veterans of the league, now all playing on areas high school teams, were introduced, including David Roffman (McLean High School); Justin Britt, Charlie Ashley and Austin McNabb (Marshall High School); Ethan Harris (Falls Church High School); and Alex Prewitt, Ted Peetz, Mike Straub and Peter Campanelli (George Mason High School).

Majors Nationals vs. Red Sox On April 12, 2008, the Nationals won their home opener 16-2 against the Red Sox. Ethan Anderson started for the Nats, yielding only two runs on two hits. Anderson was also 2-for-3 at the plate, including a double. Daniel Butler provided strong relief pitching, striking out six while facing only 10 batters over three innings. Nick Roberson went 2-for-4, with a double and scoring three runs. For the Sox, Ted Tewilliger pitched well in relief, yielding one run over two and two-thirds innings, while striking out three.

Orioles vs. Yankees The Orioles prevailed 3-1 over the

Yankees in the season opener. Alex Handley pitched five strong innings to earn the win, allowing only one run on a hit and two walks. Yankees’ starting pitcher Jon Strader pitched out of bases loaded jams in the first and fourth innings allowing only one run. Will Bernicke led off the Orioles’ half of the fifth inning with a triple and Conor Boyle and Handley followed with singles to bring the Orioles score to three runs. Marcus Bunaugh pitched a scoreless sixth inning giving up only one single to Alex McMillan to earn the save for the Orioles.

Cubs vs. A’s The last game of the FCKLL Opening Day 60th Anniversary Celebration ended in grand fashion as the Cubs defeated the A’s 9-8, providing plenty of excitement for the local fans.

The A’s were led offensively by David Mathis and Maggie Goldsmith who each produced a single and RBI doubles. Matt Ledder and Aidan Fitzpatrick also each sparked the A’s offense contributing a base hit and scoring two runs apiece. The Cubs were bolstered by starting pitcher Austen Adcock who gave up just three runs over four innings and closing pitcher Will Iacobucci. Offensively, the Cubs were led by the bat of second baseman Daniel Anderson who had two singles and a triple and catcher Vincent Kanyan with two line drive doubles. First baseman Ryan Leonard put the Cubs on the scoreboard in the 2nd inning by smacking a solo home run to right center field for his first career home run and the first of this FCKLL season.

Single A Raptors vs. Express The Raptors emerged with an 11-9 win over the Express in an opening day slugfest that lasted five innings and featured thrilling plays by both teams, including a double play by the Express in the second inning. Nick Haddock led the Raptors offensively and defensively, scoring three runs and hitting a crucial double in the fifth inning. Hopes of a comeback by the Express were dashed in the bottom of the fifth, when pitcher Diego Joaquin combined with first baseman Ryan Barrett for the final out at first.

Page 20

April 17 - 23, 2008

After averaging just under two goals for their four nondistrict contests, the George Mason High School varsity girls soccer team has kicked off their Bull Run District schedule with a bang, blasting Manassas Park and Madison High by a combined score of 18-1, as the Mustangs begin their pursuit of a district title.

Against a tough and scrappy Madison County team on Tuesday, coach Jennifer Parsons’ squad outshot the Mountaineers 29-6 en route to a 9-1 bombardment. Freshman midfielder Violet Miller continued her hot streak, racking up three goals, while fellow freshman Elle Silverman chipped in three assists and one goal.

Senior midfielder Rachel Kazman added three assists, while the remaining goals were netted by junior Kim Kenny, senior Olivia Scott, sophomore Kelley

Frank, junior Virginia Fresne and sophomore Karen Hamill.

With their full lineup back to near full strength, the Mustangs showed why they should be a force throughout their district schedule. Mason controlled possession throughout the entire game, creating numerous goalscoring opportunities on the night.

“Madison is a pretty good team,” said Parsons. “They’re going to do some good things in the district this year, but our girls just played so well. They showed that we have great depth in our team.”

On Friday, Mason began their schedule with a 9-0 drubbing of Manassas Park at Moore Cadillac Stadium. The Mustangs scored five goals within the first 15 minutes, and played possession soccer throughout the second half, as they entered the break up nine goals.

Even though Miller, Silverman and freshman Katja

Butts played down with the junior varsity team for the game — numerous players were missing due to a band trip — the Mustang offense still overpowered the weaker Cougars.

Despite the offensive assault in the first two contests, the Mustangs’ next pair of games should provide a bigger challenge. On Wednesday, the team took on AA Briar Woods — results were not available at press time — after which they will travel to the defending state runner-up Clarke County on Monday at 7 p.m.

Aside from the contest against Clarke and the occasional AA non-district game scattered throughout their schedule, it appears as though Mason will have an easy road back to the Region B playoffs. Strasburg, for example, is fielding a girls team for the first time ever this season and figures to pose little challenge to the seasoned Mustangs.

Last weekend, the George Mason High School track and field team took part in the Metro Run & Walk Northern Virginia Invitational at Edison High School in Alexandria, a two-

day event pitting the Mustang runners against over 30 AAA, AA and private schools from the area. Despite the stiff competition, many Mason athletes came away with personal bests in their respective events.

Leading Mason was senior Susanna Sullivan, who placed

third in the 3200m and ninth in the 1600m. Sullivan, who recently signed her National Letter of Intent to run at the University of Notre Dame, qualified for the state meet in June with both of her top 10 finishes.

Senior Karina Robarge qualified for the Region B meet, finishing 11th out of 34 runners in the 100m hurdles. Chantel Bailey also qualified for Regionals in the 400m by winning her heat, finishing 26th overall.

Sophomore Chantal Thomas took 27th in the 100m hurdles, while Robarge finished 16th in the 300m hurdles and Taylor Moot finished 41st in the 100m dash.

On the boys side, seniors Austin Lucas and Matt Geurtsen continued their successful season, each of whom recorded personal best throws in the shot put and the discus. Lucas took 17th in the shot put with a distance of 40-05.25, while Geurtsen finished with a distance of 34-05.50. Lucas took 13th in the discus while Geurtsen finished 22nd.

The meet should have provided an ample tune-up for the Mustangs, who continued Bull Run District competition against Clarke County yesterday. Results were not available at press time.

Mason will return home the following Wednesday to take on Strasburg High, with many of their runners looking to qualify for the district, region and state meets in the upcoming months.

The girls varsity lacrosse team of Falls Church High School defeated Centreville 97 Tuesday night, marking the first time ever the program has beaten a team from the Concorde District.

The win improves the Lady Jaguars’ record to 5-1 on the season, and with a 3-0 record in the National District the team seems to be heading for a Senior Night showdown with Yorktown on April 28 at Falls Church High School.

The Jags already hold wins over Marshall, Wakefield, Mt. Vernon and Stuart, with both the Wakefield and Stuart wins coming by 20-goal cushions.

With remaining games against Edison, Lee, Westfield and Washington-Lee — in addition to Yorktown — it’s a good bet that the team will improve on its record of 6-5 from the past

two seasons.

“This is a very determined group,” Falls Church Head Coach Sabrina Yarie said.

“They are willing to put in the extra practice, they have good chemistry and they’re playing with drive.”

Senior Valerie Gibbons leads the team in the scoring department, posting team highs in both goals and assists.

Meanwhile, both goalies, sophomore Hannah Wilkerson and junior Bridget Drain, sport save percentages over 60 percent. On defense, Yarie credits the solid play of sophomore Sarah Cortez and senior Minh Le, who leads the team in interceptions.

The Jaguars next face Edison at home on April 18.

The match gets underway at 7:15 p.m.

— MH

The Falls Church High School boys varsity lacrosse team continues their impressive turnaround from last Spring, improving their overall mark to 7-0 just one year removed from a one-win season.

On Tuesday night, the Jaguars edged Centreville, 7-6, to put themselves squarely into the spotlight as an emerging power in the regional lacrosse picture.

Uthid Nanthavong, John Simmons and Nick Engquist each scored two goals, while Freddy Flores added the other for the Jaguars. Paul Cossack made 18 saves in goal for Falls Church.

Last season, the Jaguars endured a 12-6 thrashing at the hands of Centreville, just one of 11 total defeats over the course of a year devoted to learning the game.

“Last year we made the decision to bring up a lot of players that never really played

the game before,” Falls Church Head Coach Geoffrey Young said. “Now, 90-percent of them made the commitment to play year-round and when they came back this year, all the basics were covered.

“It’s huge,” Young says of the difference between this year and last. “It’s not even a comparison.”

Already this season the Jaguars have bested Marshall (11-5), Stone Bridge (13-12) and Mt. Vernon (11-9). The latter school eliminated the Jaguars in the first round of the National District Tournament last season.

This year, it seems as though Falls Church will figure among the favorites.

Falls Church next suits up for a road game at Edison on April 18, before returning home to face a highly regarded Westfield team. Both games begin at 7:15 p.m.

— MH

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 21

Page 22

April 17 - 23, 2008

Cookie-Using Teacher Earns Recognition

the eight $100,000 awards to be given out in May of this year.

Ten-year Mathematics Department Chair of Lake Braddock Secondary School Debra DeMaria has garnered the official title of the 2008 William C. Lowry Outstanding Mathematics Teacher of the Year. Awarded at the high school level category by the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, DeMaria has taught at Lake Braddock since 1976, teaching all levels of math from eighth grade through higher level calculus.

In her calculus classes, DeMaria uses Fig Newtons and Leibniz wafers to help students learn the fundamental theorem of calculus. If that isn’t already cool enough, she brings out police tape and crime lab gowns to add mystery to the learning process of Newton’s law of cooling. To help students review, DeMaria challenges them to create worksheets of problems whose answers must match the amount of an ingredient necessary for a recipe.

Recipe worksheets are distributed to all members of the class along with samples of the dish made from the recipe. Called a “natural teacher” by assistant Principal Cynthia Prieto, DeMaria sounds like she’s earned the recognition quite fairly.

‘Grease Lightning’ Hits Key Middle

Best Buy Gives Local Schools Free Cash

Kilmer Lets Science Come to Them

Standing alone as the one school in Virginia to win the $10,000 Te@ch Award from Best Buy, Carson Middle School is one of 50 school chosen nationwide for the big bucks. Carson science teacher Kirk Treakle applied for a grant to support his eighth grade students’ projects on Enviromania, which includes environmentally oriented topics such as alternative energy sources, reforestation, global warming and recycling. Treakle plans to purchase still cameras, camcorders and computers for the students to use when producing their own multimedia presentations.

While other Fairfax County schools didn’t win as large of an amount, six noteworthy $2,000 awards were taken home by Annandale Terrace Elementary School, Belvedere Elementary School, Fox Mill Elementary School, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Lemon Road Elementary School and West Springfield High School. Carson Middle is eligible to compete for one of

Science education on wheels will make a rolling stop for eighth graders at Kilmer Middle School. The National Science Center’s Mobile Discovery will visit Kilmer beginning Friday, April 18, and stick around through April 22.

The learning center, housed in and 18-wheel truck, travels nationwide to present programs to young people to show them the fun in match and science.

The fun includes a high definition program and hands-on science demonstrations, including Van De Graff generators, a plasma ball and Tesla coils to create hair-raising experiences.

Frequency, sound and resonance will be covered during the electronic glass breaker demonstrations, while persistence of vision is demonstrated with a special light stick. Last nut not least, principles of night vision will be demonstrated during a Seeing in the Dark demonstration.

Dust off those leather jackets and poodle skirts and get ready to rock and roll at Key Middle’s presentation of “Grease” on Wednesday, April 16, at 2 p.m., and Thursday, April 17, through Saturday, April 19, at 7 p.m.

A student-tailored production, these kids created the sets, props and choreography. Tickets are available at the door.

Stacks Dedicated to Retired Principal Franconia Elementary School will dedicate their library to retired principal Judith Jackson on Friday, April 18, at 6 p.m. Franconia students, staff members, PTA members, employees of the school’s business partner CALIBRE and community members will be on hand to celebrate naming the library after Jackson, who retired in March of last year.

During the dedication celebration, Franconia students will play musical selections on recorders, present a story with sound effects, and demonstrate their skills at African drumming. Also, on display will be some of the hundreds of books donated to the school library.

North Springfield Plays The Bush Twins Kindergarten students from

North Springfield Elementary will learn what it’s like to be a child in the White House when the White House Historical Association brings its First Kid for a Day program to the school on Friday, April 18. The students will learn where presidential children ate, slept, played and did their homework. They will also role-play celebrations at the White House and learn about some famous first pets.

Each class will receive its own White House family album.

Bike Collection for Overseas Transportation A fifth grade class at Colvin Run Elementary is sponsoring a used bike drive for Bikes for the World, a local charity that ships bikes to third world countries for use as transportation.

On Saturday, April 19, they’ll accept donations of child- and adult-sized bikes, in usable condition, at the school. In addition, a $10 donation is requested per bike to cover transportation costs.

A bake sale will be held at the same time to help pay the costs of shipping the bikes overseas. Grade-level service projects are one of the character education building blocks at Colvin Run. The fifth grade faculty chose this project because it ties in with the students’ work on simple machines and provides an opportunity for students to practice compassion and responsibility.

Clermont Elementary students (above) are participating in four-week-long book drive for families in need in New Orleans and some in Northern Virginia. Each student has made a goal to donate at least one new or gently used book to the collection. (Photo: Courtesy Paula Treger) W. Fairfax Community Day This Weekend Stone Middle School will be hosting the first Western Fairfax Community Day from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. this Saturday, Aril 19. Sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority, Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services and the Fairfax County Department of Human Services, the day will focus on connecting families to resources within their own communities. Come out for free food entertainment and information from county agencies, faith-based organizations and nonprofit organizations.

Elementary Schools in Great Health Three local schools have been recognized for their superior commitment to students’ overall

health through diet and exercise.

Deer Park Elementary School, Great Falls Elementary School, and Parklawn Elementary School have received bronze awards in the Governor’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Scorecard program. These three schools join the ranks of Mantua Elementary School, which earned a gold award in 2007, and Cherry Run Elementary School, which earned a bronze award in 2007.

Points are awarded according to each school’s implementation of best practices, including providing a minimum of 30 minutes of recess daily; creating school- and community-based fitness or nutrition nights; allowing only foods that meet minimum nutritional standards to be provided or sold during the school day; and selling only 100-percent fruit juice, water or low-fat milk.

The west potomac high indoor drumline (above) earned the 2008 A Class Bronze Medal in the Atlantic Indoor Association Championship, which included 22 drumline units from Virginia and North Carolina. The group has medaled both years it has competed, most recently moving up five places in the finals competition to earn a medal. (Photo: Courtesy Adam Foreman)

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 23

Statesmen of All Kinds Celebrate Marshall’s 45th

GEORGE C. MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL is celebrating its 45th anniversary this week, with a seven-day slate of events. The festivities got underway on Saturday night with a gala catered by Chef Ciaran Devlin of The Five Star Cafe. A student-designed cake prepared by the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes.” Former Ambassador to the United Nations (as well as Russia, Israel, India, El Salvador and Jordan), the Honorable Thomas R. Pickering, a Marshall alumnus, serrved as the keynote speaker. The events culminate Saturday with a 5K run for the community. (News-Press photos)

Page 24

April 17 - 23, 2008

April 17 - 23, 2008

It’s a chilly but sunny, day and the players of the Northern Virginia Senior Softball League (NVSS) are holding their preseason tryouts. The pitcher throws and the batter sends the ball flying straight up. The batter looks up, and squints, his eyes trying to find the ball against the sun.

“Whoa!” he exclaims as the ball thuds where he would have been standing if he hadn’t made the dodge in time.

“What are you trying to do to me?” the batter jokingly asks the pitcher.

“Oh sure, blame the pitcher,” he shoots back. The batter, the pitcher and the fielders laugh, and the pitcher catches the ball and throws again, the process is repeated throughout the morning, with jokes and polite barbs hurled as frequently as the ball.

The pitcher, 77-year-old Bob Dineen also plays volleyball and basketball, but so far has skipped the traditional retiree sport of golf.

“Too much time, too little effort,” says the Springfield native and former Air Force pilot.

He clearly thinks playing in the Northern Virginia Senior Softball league is worth his time however, as he’s been playing with them since 1992. He was convinced to try it by a tennis partner and took an immediate shine to it.

“I walked out there and from the get go, it was fun,” he says. The sentiment is echoed by his NVSS compatriots.

“I didn’t play any organized ball until I was in my fifties,”

Page 25

says NVSS Publicity Manager Dave Scheele, who gives the impression that, while he’s perfectly capable of sitting still, he’d really prefer not to.

“It was kind of a catharsis for me,” Scheele says of his decision to play. “It took my mind off the other cares in my life.” Scheele, like many of the NVSS members, stresses the emphasis on playing a good game over who wins or looses.

“We aren’t tryin’ to impress anybody, we’re tryin’ to have fun.” And they clearly are.

The NVSS league is open to anyone of either gender who wants play, provided they have put in the proper amount of time to season themselves for the league — at least 50 years for the gentlemen, 40 for ladies. The variety of people who play in the NVSS reflects what you’d find in any group of people from Northern Virginia. “We have policemen, lawyers, ex-CIA, the whole variety,” says Scheele.

Some of the rules are tweaked to accommodate those who are more easily injured than the young and spry, but almost all participants pay a price.

“Just about everyone new to the league ends up pulling something,” relates outfielder Jerry Reichel, a retired engineer for Mobil. The main tweak to the rules are the two home plates and two first bases placed side by side decreasing the risk

of players sliding into other players or knocking them over.

Injuries do happen, of course.

On Scheele’s first day, he found himself stranded in between bases, in too much pain to move to either one. “I pulled my groin muscle,” Scheele remembers.

Indirectly worked to his benefit.

“That’s when I decided ‘that’s it I need to get in shape.’ You need to be in good shape to play softball.”

There are three different conferences that teams play in, each one representing a dif-

ferent level of athleticism and skill. A player whose abilities may decline after a decade with the NVSS would be moved to a different conference where they will remain competitive, while relative youngin’s, whose skills may improve would also be moved accordingly.

Says Scheele, “Sometimes we get guys who don’t want to be moved into the higher skilled leagues, they’re saying ‘Hey, I’m a big star here, don’t move me!’”

Their tri-conference system, along with a player-ranking system, introduced by Scheele to keep the total skill level of each team balanced, reflects a central

tenant of the NVSS — above all, keep games fair, balanced and fun.

“There’s no Yankees,” says Scheele, referring to the lack of one dominant juggernaut team.

“We like it when one team wins the summer league and another wins the tournament.” Each season NVSS players will find themselves on a team with an entirely different makeup of players.

“You’re always meeting new people,” says Virgil Bodeen, a retired diplomat who worked in media relations over a myriad of assignments in West Africa, Tunisia and Singapore.

“We’re don’t want to create dynasties, we want to create fellowship.” It’s a sentiment that everyone in the league seems to appreciate. “You play hard and you play to win, but that’s not all there is to it.”

NVSSers would certainly be offended if one got the impression that the play isn’t competitive. Some players, such as Scheele, make tracks all around the country to play in national tournaments such as the World Championship of Senior Softball, the World Series of Senior Softball and the Huntsman Senior Games to name a few.

“That’s more serious ball,” says Scheele. The players from the NVSS join up with a team from Maryland to form Hamel’s Construction Company, their

team named for their sponsor.

The national tournament brackets are done by age group as opposed to skill level like in the NVSS. “Every five years you’re a rookie,” says Scheele who has an extensive collection of championship rings from tournament victories as far away as Califiornia.

His most recent ring was from the International Senior Softball Association Champtionship in Manassass, Va. For sheer competitive spirit, it’s hard to beat the Esprit De Corps, a series of games played between former members of different branches of the armed forces. “If you served in any branch of the armed forces and you play with the NVSS, you get drafted again!” jokes Scheele.

In keeping with the spirit of the corps, instead of a first pitch, a grenade (not live) is thrown out instead. The competition is fierce, and old rivalries die hard. “The Army guys want to beat the Navy guys, the Navy guys want to beat the Army guys and the Marines just want to beat everybody.”

Ask any NVSS member what they think of the league and without fail you’ll hear two answers — the league is full of great people, and it’s incredibly fun. Then, if you’re of the appropriate age, they’ll tell you that you really should join up.

“Even if the weather’s bad, and your not playing that well, any day that you get to play softball is a good day,” says Bodeen.

Adds Scheele, “You don’t stop playing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop playing.”

Page 26

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April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 27

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Page 28

April 17 - 23, 2008

Fresh on the Market

3BR/1.5 BA in Winter Hill

465 Hampton Court |Falls Church| VA |22046 OPEN HOUSE S u nd ay 4/2 0 1-4 pm

This beautiful, rarely available 3BR/1.5 BA, 2 level townhome in popular Winter Hill is exquisite! The new, updated bathrooms, kitchen, refinished hardwoods, appliances, and décor shine in this lovely home. Within walking distance to numerous shops, restaurants, bus routes, new Center City Project, and more. Falls Church City schools. Where else in the City can you find a 3 bedroom home at this price??

Proudly presented by: Bethany Ellis |Realtor®|Long and Foster Real Estate |(703 534-9660 office|(703) 307-7003 preferred |bethany.ellis@longandfoster.com www.buyandsellwithbethany.com

More Area Listings!

Open Sunday 1-4

Open Sunday 1-4

413 Hampton Court Falls Church City

Stunning remodeled town home in Winter Hill neighborhood. Spacious 2 BR, (former 3BR) 1BA situated on huge corner lot. Fabulous kitchen, french doors, hardwood floors, and custom molding. Walk to Metro, Starbucks and Farmer’s Market. FCC Schools! Offered at $385,000

609 Poplar Drive — Falls Church City

Same great home now with a fabulous newly finished lower level, for even more space. This new custom home built by Novus One, includes 5 BR and 3.5 BA. Large flat landscaped yard. 2 car garage.

Mins to Metro, major highways and downtown. FCC Schools! New price of $1,145,000

Open Sunday 1-4

2337 Sandburg Street — Dunn Loring

Just Listed! Stunning colonial, built in 2001 featuring 4 BR, 3.5 BA. Elegant details throughout.Gorgeous lot with professional landscaping. 2 car garage. Quiet location, yet minutes from Tysons, metro and major highways. Offered at $869,000

Louise Molton, Realtor City Resident and Business Owner Weichert Realtors Office: 703.821.8300 Direct:703.244.1992 Email: louise@agentlouise.com

“Turning Houses into Homes!”

April 17 - 23, 2008

‘Heart’s Ease’ Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (222 North Washington St. Falls Church).

Creative Cauldron and Falls Church Arts presents an evening of rarely heard early period music, performed on shawms, cornetto, Renaissance tromboni, krummhorns, recorders and the like. Five of the Washington area’s leading early music performers will play popular pieces from the time by Isaac, Francesco d’Ana, Giovanni Gastoldi, Thomas Morley and Anthony Holborne. Tickets are $15/$10 for children 12 and under. To reserve tickets, visit www.creativecauldron.org.

‘Amy Lin: Interaction’ Through May 5, at the Art League Gallery in the Torpedo Factory (105 Union

Page 29

St, Alexandria). Gallery Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. For more information, call 703-683-1780, or see www. torpedofactory.org/galleries/ artleague.htm.

Alexandria resident Amy Lin has been on the radar screen of the D.C. area arts scene for a couple of years now. Lenny Campello, art dealer, blogger, curator, occasional art judge and all around D.C. area art hound coined the phrase “Buy Amy Lin Now” in July of 2006. Over the past two years, it’s a phrase that’s been repeated by Lenny and an increasing number of art critics. To be sure this is one rising star in our midst.

Still, I’ve had my reservations.

Not so much on the eventual outcome, but rather the timing of it all. In Lin’s last show, I saw too much centered and seemingly static work that didn’t quite get

up and dance for me. But at 29, Lin’s best work is most assuredly ahead of her.

The current show in the Torpedo Factory’s Art League Gallery is comprised of only six works, yet bears witness to a significant amount of artistic growth in a scant four months’ time.

While there are still occasional moments of weakness visible, the powerful work to come is clearly breaking out of its shell. Lin’s vehicle of choice is a simple dot, rendered in a uniform fashion with centered highlight, if that’s what it is. The dots float in a spatial void that make them seem like spheres, yet ignore the laws of reflected light, which implies that they are flat discs. Yet we persist in seeing them as spheres as if they are transparent roe, or some sort of microbes under a microscope. Singularly, the dots present no real information about the whole. The force and meaning of the work is derived simply from the use of scale and context, or placement of the dots in proximity to each other.

Much is made of Lin’s perfect hand-drawn circles, but that alone will only get you so far in the art world. You need to marry technique with content to pull the career cart very far down the road.

The composition titled “Strength” depicts a snaking line of red dots superimposed over an

elliptical circle of red dots, sharing the two dots where the two forms intersect. There is a strong inclination to see this as the cellular beginning of life. Like all of Lin’s drawings, the piece is certainly well crafted, but loses its power in a too-central and too-easily-seen composition. In a sense this is the old Amy Lin. Welcome the new Amy Lin. One of my favorite pieces here is “Gentle.” A sole red dot acts as an off-center nucleus for four strings of tentacle like blue dots. Set near the corner of the paper, it flays about in a sea of white, alone, vulnerable and very much alive.

You can’t help but see it as a baby octopus, or “quatropus” perhaps.

It’s just this sort of mystery that allows us to return to the piece and be entertained by it over and over again. While “Strength” would be difficult to live with unless your tastes run towards minimalism, “Gentle” however has the legs to stand up to repeated viewing. It’s just a wonderfully evocative and engaging piece.

Moving across the room you see the significantly larger piece, titled “Sacrifice.” Here, we see a whole new twist to Lin’s work.

The dots themselves operate as rings that change in complexity from one to the other. A faint shadow now appears between adjoining dots. With this piece, we first see evidence of actual connection between the orbs.

This faint shading flows out in teardrop fashion, fading out to nothing. There is no actual connection, but the force is shown, as if she has made the magnetic attraction between forms visible. It’s a quizzical and entertaining piece that makes one hunger for her work to come.

NOW buy Amy Lin. Artist Opportunities 4th Annual Falls Church City Art Show & Sale Friday and Saturday April 2526 at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). Artists living or working in Falls Church City may drop off up to two pieces for exhibition. The drop off period begins Monday, April 25 and goes right up to noon on Friday, April 25, when the installation begins. On the back of each piece, list your name, phone number and selling price if the work is for sale.

Volunteers are sought to help with the actual hanging of the show between noon and 3 p.m.

Contact Jenny Elmore, City Art Show Coordinator 703-2485199.  The Northern Virginia Art Beat is compiled by Kevin Mellema.

See www.fcnp.com for photos and more. To e-mail submissions, send them to mulsane@aol.com.

Page 30

April 17 - 23, 2008

Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp.com; fax 703-532-3396; or by regular mail to 450 West Broad Street #321, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

Community Events SATURDAY, APRIL 19

THURSDAY, APRIL 17

Vienna Flea Market. FB Perkins Preschool (900 Maple Ave., E. Vienna). 9 a.m. - noon. Drop-offs accepted from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

All donations are tax-deductible.

703-304-7754.

Story Hour. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. Mon. – Thurs. 10:30 a.m. 703-2485077 (TTY 711).

Rotary Club Meeting. Eric Latham speaks about his Walk Across America for Cancer Research. Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $10. 6:30 p.m. Visitors welcome.

Farmers’ Market in Falls Church.

Falls Church City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m.

– noon.

PTA/PTSA Dinner. Annual Northern Virginia District Board Meeting. Old Town Hall (10209 Main St., Fairfax). 6 p.m. PTA & PTSA members welcome.

For more information, visit novadistrictpta.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18 Framing Science for Public Debate. Matthew Nisbet, Ph.D, Asst. Professor at American University, presents a talk about how to make science more relevant for the general public. The National Science Foundation (4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). Free. 12:30 p.m.

Open to the public. RSVP by April 17 by calling 301-587-3827.

Falls Church Arts Roundtable.

The first meeting of a new Falls Church Arts artists’ group. Falls Church Arts Gallery (111 Park Ave., Falls Church). 7 - 9 p.m.

703-534-4202.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22

Opening Reception for Fairfax Art Show. Fairfax High School presents students’ works as part of Fairfax County’s Spotlight on the Arts and is holding an opening reception. Fairfax Old Town Hall (3999 University Dr., Fairfax). 2-4 p.m.

Four-Minute Dating. Speed

Irish Poetry and Music. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 4 - 5:30 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 21

Old Dominion Gun Show. Over 160 tables of guns, knives, shooting accessories to buy, sell, trade or exhibit. VFW Post 1503 (14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City). $6, admission is free for children 12 or under with an adult. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday. 276-238-1343.

SUNDAY, APRIL 20

dating every Sunday night hosted by Professionals in the City. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-538-6266.

Immigration Discussion. Carola and Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, co-directors of the Immigration Studies program at New York University and a panel of immigrants speak about immigration experiences.

Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington). Free.

7 p.m.

Judah Friedlander. Nationally recognized stand-up comedian.

The Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, D.C.). $17 each show.

Two shows at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. 202-393-3939.

‘Shear Madness.’ Comedic whodunit performance that lets the audience solve the salon crime. Kennedy Center (2700 F St., NW Washington, D.C.). $40-$50. 8 P.M. 202-4674600.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18

Short Play Festival and Awards Presentation. Presented by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

SATURDAY, APRIL 19

YAP. Improv Comedy troupe performs a show for the whole family, made up on the spot from audience suggestions.

The State Theater (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $10 for ages 13 and over, $5 for ages 12 and younger. 2 p.m. 703-237-0300.

SUNDAY, APRIL 20

Swami Beyondananda. “A Course in Laughter: Situational Comedy for the NonComedian.” The Celebration Center of Religious Science

Open Mic Night. Sign up at the door. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-538-6266.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24 Organic Gardening Extravaganza.

Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners host a gardening extravaganza, featuring Professor Andy Hankins of Virginia State University. Potomac Overlook Regional Park (2845 Marcy Rd., Arlington). Free. 9 a.m - 1 p.m.

703-228-6414.

Rotary Club Meeting. Dan Tiedge speaks about the Virginia Hospital Brigade. Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $10. 6:30 p.m. Visitors welcome.

T

&

Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10.

7:30 p.m. 202-467-4600.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23

Falls Church Lions Club Meeting.

With featured speaker Joshua Wyner of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. La Côte D’Or Café (6876 Lee Highway, Falls

�� E����

R

R��������� Rehoboth Beach/ Dewey Beach Weekend

Theater Fine Arts THURSDAY, APRIL 17

Church). Open to the public.

6:45 p.m.

(2840 Graham Rd., Falls Church). $35 in advance, $40 at the door. 1-5 p.m. 703-5602030.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22

DC Comedy Showcase. Six amateur and professional improv comedians compete.

Hosted by Jay Hastings. The Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington D.C.) $10. 8:30 p.m. 202-393-3939.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24

Gabriel Iglesias. From “Last Comic Standing.” The Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, D.C.). $28. 8:30 p.m. 202-3933939.

I

Coming Soon (Just Can’t Wait!)

t’s going to be in the mid-70s with no rain in the forecast this weekend, the first such inviting opportunity of the season for a road trip to the beach! The period between now and Memorial Day is the best time to go, as prices are low and crowds are slim, but all the amenities are up and running. If the beach and mellow vibes aren’t enough, check out the Dewey Beach Popfest Friday and Saturday, with 38 groups from Australia, Nashville, New York and D.C., including The Kin, Sparky’s Flaw, Ben Jelen and the Flying Machines. And it’s the kickoff of the first annual Delaware Week for the Animals, a wide array of events statewide, with new ones added daily. Going through Georgetown on Rt. 9 Saturday afternoon, you can check out the “Spring Fling” at the Georgetown SPCA, just south of Rt. 9 on Rt. 113. Tons of pet frolicking.

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 31

live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, April 17 Live Jazz. Sign of the Whale (7279 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). For more information, call 703-5731616.

Toots and the Maytals. Reggae/ Jamaican.The State Theater (22o N. Washington St., Falls Church). $26. Doors open: 7 p.m. Showtime: 8:30 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Chris Merritt and the Kin. Pop/ Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 advance, $12 at door. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

FRIDAY, April 18 Lez Zeppelin. An all-female tribute to Led Zeppelin. Classic Rock. The State Theater (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $16. Doors open: 7 p.m. Showtime: 9 p.m.

703-237-0300.

Jim’s Big Ego. Pop/Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

9:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

The Pharmacy Prophets. W/Spinning Lucy and the Hypersonic Secret. Rock. IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. Showtime: 9:30 p.m. 703522-8340.

Robin Spielberg CD Release.

Piano. The Lyceum (201 S. Washington St., Alexandria). $18 in

advance, $20 at the door. 8 p.m.

800-404-9049.

SATURDAY, April 19 Karaoke Night. Sign of the Whale (7279 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 10 p.m.- 1:30 a.m. For more information, call 703-5731616.

Marcia Ball. Texas Blues. The State Theater (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $22. Doors open: 7 p.m. Showtime: 9 p.m.

703-237-0300.

60’s Folk Night. With performances by Jim Dowell, Bob Fox, Don Ziegler and more. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Showtime: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 703-538-6266.

SUNDAY, April 20 Green Apple Music Festival.

Featuring Umphrey’s McGee, an acoustic set from O.A.R. and Gov’t Mule. Headlined by The Roots & Friends. The National Mall (900 Ohio Dr., SW Washington, D.C.). Free and open to the public. Noon.

Don Bruce Big Band. Swing/Pop. The Millenium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2700 F St., NW Washington, D.C.). Free. Showtime: 6 p.m. 202-467-4600.

Let My People Go! A spiritual journey along the Underground Railroad presented by the Master Chorale of Washington.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2700 F St., NW Washington, D.C.) $20-69. 3 p.m. 202-467-4600.

MONDAY, April 21 My Favorite Highway and The Bigger Lights. Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Etran Finatawa. Blues. IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). Non-smoking show. $15. Showtime: 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22 Good for the Jews. Music/Comedy. With special guests The Alexandria Kleztet. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 in advance, $18 at door. Showtime 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

The Wilders. W/Shortstack. Country/Bluegrass. IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. Showtime: 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340.

fully choreographed stage show.

The Barns at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $25. Showtime: 8 p.m. Also playing Thursday, April 24 at 8 p.m.

Gigahertz. Rock Covers. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7:30 - 11 p.m. 703-5340095.

Karaoke and specials. Sign of the Whale (7279 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 10 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. For more information, call 703-5731616.

thursday, APRIL 24 Live Jazz. Sign of the Whale (7279 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). For more information, call 703-5731616.

Justin Currie. From Del Amitri.

Acoustic pop/rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15.

Showtime: 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

The Nadas. W/Jacob Hope. Rock.

IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. Showtime: 9 p.m. 703-522-8340.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 Barrage. A violin ensemble with a

Planning Ahead...

D

o you remember that wedding where you toasted the bride and groom by the wrong name, slow danced to Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” with the bride’s mom, and then took over the DJ booth so that you could play “Shout” 16 consecutive times? I didn’t think you would. Well, here’s a chance to re-live all of that wedding reception fun without having to face the father of the bride at an awkward brunch. Benefitting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Bachelors and Bridesmaids Ball at Whitlow’s on Wilson this Saturday gives all you perpetually drunk groomsmen and “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” gals a chance to do it right (or at least another chance to do it drunk). Guys, break out those pastel-colored tuxes and tuxedo t-shirts and ladies, grab your neon, poofy dresses and be ready to shake your groove thing all night long. Prizes will be awarded for the ugliest and tackiest of the bunch, so be sure to bring it.

What: Bachelors & Bridesmaids Ball Cost: $30/single, $50/couple When: Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m.

Where: Whitlow’s on Wilson, 2854 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA Email d.desilvis@gmail.com for tickets and more info

Sunday, May 4 — Barbara Walters Book Signing. Barbara Walters visits Borders’ Books & Music on a book tour for her new memoir, “Audition.” Borders Books & Music (8027 Leesburg Pike, Vienna).

Free to public. 7:30 p.m. 703-556-7766.

Sunday, May 11 — “In My Arms” Opening Reception. An exhibit of relief block prints by Linda Rose Larochelle. Opening reception on Mother’s Day. The Loft Gallery (313 Mill St., Occoquan). Free to public. 1-4 p.m.

Calendar Submissions Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations.

Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.

Email: calendar@fcnp.com Fax: 703-532-3396; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: 450 West Broad Street, #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

Page 32

April 17 - 23, 2008

negotiations on property; and starting disgraceful lawsuits between Christians in secular courts. But they provide humor too: intolerant tolerance, exclusive inclusivity, and judgmental non-judging are, at bottom, funny.

Ron Parson Falls Church

Continued from Page 6

Claims National Episcopal Leaders Include Tinner ‘Reject Christ’ Hill Group in Editor, Regarding the Falls Church: F.C. Arts Plan A heart-felt letter in the NewsPress spoke eloquently of what the Falls Church ought to be (unbounded tolerance), what is (self-exiles meeting in a loft), what can be done (wait), and what will be (welcomed home by “brothers and sisters who forgot”). The pattern – ought / is / can / will – that no one cannot think without, the pattern at the core of Christian belief: creation / fall / redemption / restoration – through Christ, who will put sin (including mine) and death, to death. But the national Episcopal leadership rejects Christ, denying specifically that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

All else flows from that rejection: intolerance of anyone orthodox; cutting off promising

Editor, I was delighted to read about the proposed “specially designated arts and culture district.” At the same time, I was disappointed that the project was so narrowly defined and did not include organizations like Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF).

Art and culture go hand and hand and Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation is one of the primary organizations in the city that consistently presents cultural programming for the residents of Falls Church. We are an integral part of the cultural fabric of the City of Falls Church. After meeting with representatives involved in

this proposed project, we each amicably agreed that the omission of Tinner Hill (and perhaps other groups as well) was an unintentional oversight. As a result of several subsequent discussions, a number of collaborative projects are now on the drawing board. One such collaboration includes an exciting joint venture between Falls Church Arts, Creative Cauldron and Tinner Hill as an addition to the upcoming Tinner Hill Blues Festival.

Please do remember to mark your calendars for the 15th Annual Tinner Hill Blues Festival on Saturday, June 14 (more on that later!)

If this “arts cultural district” does move forward, I suggest that we embark on the endeavor by developing a “community cultural plan.”

The cultural plan would take stock of our community’s arts and cultural assets, needs, opportunities, and resources, then establish an agenda for the future. The planning process should be inclusive and ensure that all viewpoints are represented: city officials, artists, artists and cultural groups, members of the public, business owners, schools, students, parents and so forth. Last year, THHF had a feasibil-

Spring Open House Celebration

ity completed by consultant, Anne Edmunds and Associates of Philadelphia. Part of that study, included an exhaustive survey of the arts and cultural organizations in Falls Church, Northern Virginia, and the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Area. The study also included several recommendations, one of which was that the cultural and arts organizations in our city collaborate. THHF have shared the results of the study with city officials and would be happy to discuss it with other arts/cultural groups.

Nikki Graves Henderson Falls Church

more than $21,000.

I thank everyone who helped make this my most memorable birthday ever.

Bob Morrison Falls Church (Ed’s note: Even though Morrison’s birthday has passed, the fund continues to accept donations at the Falls Church Education Foundation, 450 W. Broad St. Ste. 305, Falls Church, VA 22046. Make checks payable to FCEF, with “Bob Morrison” in the memo field.)

Time to Get Morrison Thanks Serious About All for Fund Energy Use Contributions Editor,

Editor, I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people who collaborated with my wife Meredith on a wonderful surprise for my 70th birthday.

Unknown to me, she created a scholarship fund in my honor with the Falls Church Education Foundation for students pursuing higher education in visual arts. She then sent letters describing it and asking for contributions.

The secret was well kept.

When I finally learned of it last week on my birthday, I was overwhelmed and humbled by your response: The fund totaled

I read Tom Whipple’s interesting article on “The Peak Oil Crisis,” and I would like to see him go into more detail on the problem. While the U.S. transportation sector currently uses the largest share of our oil (40%), U.S. power generation is now down to 6% of our oil supply. We should get serious about cutting back on our transportation fuel. Also, with increasing competition for global oil supplies from China and India, we should be looking at increasing the amount of oil that is readily available to be imported from Canada.

Ed Badolato Falls Church

The Falls Church Episcopal Welcomes our new

at Sunrise Senior Living

Priest in Charge

Join in the festivities as Sunrise Senior Living

The Reverend Michael Pipkin

hosts a Spring Open House Celebration. At this exciting event you can mingle with neighbors, residents and guests. You can also enjoy seasonal fare and delight in a variety of themed entertainment.

While you’re here, meet our team, tour our community and find out what we do to make our community a place seniors are proud to call home.

Come visit our communities and learn about our Spring Specials – see what makes living at Sunrise so special!

EVENT DETAILS

Spring Open House Celebration Brighton Gardens of Arlington Saturday, April 19th 11:00am to 2:00pm Sunrise of Falls Church Saturday, April 26th 11:00am to 2:00pm

Please Join Us for a Celebration Service and Luncheon Sunday, April 20 11:15 am Worship 12:15 pm Luncheon

Brighton Gardens of Arlington 703-294-6875 3821 Wilson Blvd, Arlingon, VA 22203 IL, AL, MC Sunrise of Falls Church 703-534-2700 330 North Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046 AL, MC IL= Independent Living AL=Assisted Living MC=Memory Care For more information and a FREE online newsletter, visit www.sunriseseniorliving.com

BW N-08QAT0451 Sunrise Senior Living Community: BG Arlington & Falls Church Pub: Falls Church News Title: Spring Open House

Sunday Services are temporarily being held at Falls Church Presbyterian Church 225 E. Broad in Falls Church VA For information please call (703) 919-9463 or Email: tfcepiscopal@gmail.com

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 33

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Larceny from Vehicle, 500 blk.

Roosevelt Blvd., April 11, 11:16 p.m., unknown person(s) smashed the windshield of a vehicle and stole the GPS unit.

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Many children begin drinking as early as age 12. That’s two years before they’ve tried geometry. Research indicates that children are less likely to drink when their parents are involved in their lives and when they report feeling close to their parents. So next time you complain about how fast they’re growing up, consider that it might be in your power to slow them down.

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Jason Segel’s penis probably would not sell a lot of tickets all by itself. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but most of us don’t think of the co-star of “Freaks and Geeks,” “Knocked Up” and “How I Met Your Mother” in THAT way. As wise men (and women) always say, it’s not the thing itself that matters; it’s what you do with it.

And what Segel does with it as star and writer of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is magnificent.

Between his brief nude scene at the very beginning (a humiliating, emotionally naked breakup and breakdown), and his even briefer final one (a welcome reunion of sorts), he discovers quite a lot about himself through his genitalia.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” will, quite properly, be seen as the next issue from writer-producer-director Judd Apatow’s anti-stud farm, a sibling of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up” and “Superbad.” Part of the fun is the way these films mix and match names and faces to produce the randy-but-tender recombinant comedy that has become synonymous with the Apatow brand.

So, for example, Apatow regular Paul Rudd (who appears in this movie as a brain-fried

duced by Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson. Written by Jason Segel. Photographed by Russ T. Alsobrook. Edited by William Kerr.

Music by Lyle Workman.

Running time: 112 minutes.

Universal Pictures presents a film directed by Nicholas Stoller. Pro-

hotel surf coach named Chuck) is friends with Rob Thomas, who is the creator of TV’s terrific (now canceled) “Veronica Mars,” which starred Kristen Bell in the title role. Here Bell plays the eponymous Sarah Marshall, star of a ludicrous forensic detective show called “Crime Scene” opposite William Baldwin, whose stock in trade is making tastelessly absurd toughguy wisecracks about hideously sickening crimes (see any episode of the “CSI” or “Law and Order” franchises).

Sarah’s boyfriend (now ex-) Peter Bretter (Segel) provides the “score” for her show, consisting entirely of routine riffs, stings and ominous chords.

He’d rather be writing a rock opera. (I hesitated to even give away that much since, in this movie, the offhand use of the term “rock opera” is hilarious in so many ways all by itself,

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as well as being the setup for a series of escalating gags. These guys are SO subtle and smart, even when they’re being vulgar and dumb.)

When Sarah dumps goofy nice-guy Peter for a ridiculous, slithery, pop singer named Aldous Snow (brilliantly inventive Brit TV personality Russell Brand, with a fan-blown black mane), Peter tries everything to get over her: drinking to excess, reckless rebound sex, television reality shows. None of it makes him feel better. So he escapes to a Hawaiian island resort where, as nightmares would have it, Sarah and Aldous have also come to get away from it all.

Hotel hospitality clerk Rachel Jansen (Mila Kunis, the tiny shrew of “That ‘70s Show” who has become stunningly gorgeous) takes pity on Peter’s pain, but where will it lead?

You know exactly where, and the pleasure of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is in how it gets there. Which is to undervalue the good and plentiful jokes in Segel’s script, a mashup of “10,” “Modern Romance” and “Better Off Dead,” no doubt enlivened by spontaneous invention on the set. Remember Brian Denehy as the nurturing bear of a bartender who looks after Dudley Moore in his hours of alcoholic desperation? Here that role is split into two massive resort workers and one laidback beach dude, and they’re all funny in their own ways. But there’s also a real-world twist: One of the guys with whom Segel feels a vacation connection turns out to be flying on auto-pilot, just doing his job the best he can. Not with malicious intent -- it’s just his personality, which is probably what got him hired in the first place.

All in all, the movie feels like a vacation on which you keep bumping into amusing acquaintances whom you’re actually happy to see, and who know better than to overstay their welcome: Bill Hader and Jonah Hill (both from “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”) as a starstruck waiter and well-meaning stepbrother; Jack McBrayer

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 35

glory -- regrettably, two years later -- by a pair of New York railbirdsturned-filmmakers. Rating: Three stars. (Jeff Johnson)

T Opening in Theaters

8

8 Minutes (Crime thriller, R, 108 minutes). This confusing, silly film about a copycat killer is a big waste of time. The plot is full of holes, with a lot of breakdowns in logic. Al Pacino hits only one note here (intense brooding). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sad

waste of his talent. Rating: One and a half stars. (Bill Zwecker)

T

he First Saturday in May (Documentary, PG, 96 minutes). The high drama and backstretch color of the 2006 Kentucky Derby are captured in full

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Kristen Bell and Russell Brand in Universal Picturesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Forgetting Sarah Marshall.â&#x20AC;? (Photo: Š 2008 Universal

Pictures)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;AN INTENSE, RIVETING THRILLER!â&#x20AC;?

Steve Oldfield, FOX-TV

(the amazing Kenneth, the NBC page, on â&#x20AC;&#x153;30 Rockâ&#x20AC;?) as a honeymooner with sexual hang-ups whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s having trouble pleasing his new wife; and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not forget Carla Gallo as Gag Me Girl in one quick scene. Apatow geeks may recall her as Jay Baruchelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girlfriend (and Segelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ex) in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Undeclaredâ&#x20AC;? -- or as ToeSucking Girl in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 40-YearOld Virginâ&#x20AC;? or Period Girl in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Superbad.â&#x20AC;? Every one of them is like a splash of rum, or a dash of hot sauce, at the bountiful island buffet. It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if their parts never get much bigger -- they all deserve to be huge stars for what they do in small slices of screen time.

Like most Apatow-influenced movies, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Forgetting Sarah Marshallâ&#x20AC;? is, at heart, about forgiveness. We all do stupid, destructive and selfdestructive things for which weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re probably not going to forgive ourselves, so the best thing in the world is when somebody else forgives us. In the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moral universe, there are no irredeemably bad people -- just those afflicted to various degrees with shallowness, immaturity, selfishness,

obliviousness, ambition.

For some critics and audiences, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made these kinds of complaints before, the chief difficulty will be finding a way to forgive lumpish, doughy Peter for not being pretty enough to attract women as knock-out beautiful as Sarah or Rachel.

Fine, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point at which the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geek-fantasy begins. Trying to maintain these relationships involves hard work, diligence, introspection, empathy and more than a little disappointment.

And when somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as funny as Segelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Peter is here, you can forgive a lot. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have to look like heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing anything. Watch for the moment when he leaves one hotel room and negotiates around the edge of a curved flower bed to the room next door. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a variation on an old Buster Keaton gag from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Navigatorâ&#x20AC;? (1923) and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seemingly nothing to it -- just the perfect execution of an arc. Penises are a dime a dozen; Segelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walk of indignity is priceless.

ď ľ Jim Emerson is editor of the Web site rogerebert.com.

y Blueberry Nights (Romance, PG-13, 90 minutes). An extra-sweet romantic fable from Wong Kar-Wai about love and desserts. You taste â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Blueberry Nightsâ&#x20AC;? with your retinas. There are less appetizing things to look at for 90 minutes than this pretty pie-cart of a movie, its glazed slices topped with the faces of Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz and David Strathairn instead of chocolate-dipped strawberries, dollops of whipped cream or frosting rosebuds.

Empty calories. Rating: Two and a half stars. (Jim Emerson)

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he Forbidden Kingdom (Adventure, PG-13, 113 minutes). Rob Minkoff, director of the charming â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lion Kingâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stuart Littleâ&#x20AC;? series, applies the same quaint sensibilities to what might have been stronger as an all-out martial-arts genre flick. The hokey but whimsical storyline (based loosely on a traditional Chinese legend) couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a winner if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so mired in John Fuscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unmemorable script. Michael Angarano (â&#x20AC;&#x153;24,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seabiscuitâ&#x20AC;?) plays a wimpy South Bostonian who finds himself transported back to ancient China, where he faces off against martial-arts stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li, both in dual roles. Rating: One and a half stars. (Bryant Manning)

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he Visitor (Drama, PG-13, 103 minutes). Remember that little indie favorite from a few years ago, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Station Agentâ&#x20AC;??

Synopsis: A lonely man keeps to himself upon losing someone dear to him. He then meets an energetic stranger, who helps recharge his broken spirit. A couple of women also enter his life and help to reawaken his tender side. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Visitorâ&#x20AC;? - writer/director Thomas McCarthyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s follow-up to â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Station Agentâ&#x20AC;?

-- in a nutshell. Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is the lonely man at the center of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Visitor.â&#x20AC;? He gets caught up in the lives of a couple of foreigners, who are in the country illegally. The film carries a harsh statement about post-9/11 immigration procedures, and while timely, relevant and compelling, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overshadow the heart of the story, which is about human connection. Particularly lovely is the friendship/romance that develops between Walter and Mouna (Hiam Abbass). Rating: Three and a half stars. (Teresa Budasi)

W

here in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

(Documentary, PG-13, 93 minutes). Director and guide Morgan Spurlock (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Super Size Meâ&#x20AC;?) takes us on a souped-up, vox populi tour of TerrorLand, using cartoons, musical numbers and PlayStation graphics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Terrorism for Dummiesâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Bird Goes to the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;? may have been considered as alternate titles. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structured as a video game, with escalating international â&#x20AC;&#x153;levelsâ&#x20AC;? of apparent difficulty: Egypt, Palestinian Territories, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Not as insufferable as Michael Moore, but this superficial primer will enlighten only those who are surprised to learn that Al Gore was never president of the United

Continued on Page 36

Page 36

Continued from Page 35 States. Rating: Two stars. (Jim Emerson)

C

HARLIE WILSON’S WAR (Political comedy, R, 97 m., 2007). Based on a true story. Tom Hanks as a hard-drinking Texas congressman who, at the urging of a Houston socialite (Julia Roberts), uses his congressional subcommittee to arrange a secret $1 billion arms deal between Israel and Afghan freedom fighters, with Pakistan as the intermediary. That results in the defeat of the Russians, and the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Philip Seymour Hoffman is droll and funny as a rogue CIA man who becomes Charlie’s partner in deception. A smart, funny, wicked political comedy by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron (“West Wing”) Sorkin. Rating: Three stars.

C

LOVERFIELD (Horror, PG-

13, 80 m., 2008). Six yuppies No Repro Blue

April 17 - 23, 2008

J

UNO (Comedy, PG-13, 92 m., 2007). Very smart, very funny and then very touching; it begins with the pacing of a screwball comedy and ends as a portrait of characters we have come to love.

Ellen Page in an Oscar-worthy performance as a pregnant 16-year-old who decides to keep the child. With J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney wonderful as her parents, older and wiser than most parents in teenage comedies. And Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the would-be adoptive parents, and Michael Cera, shyly winning as Juno’s boyfriend.

Screenplay by Diablo Cody, directed

by Jason Reitman; the best movie of 2007. Rating: Four stars.

B

EFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD (Drama, R, 117 m., 2007). Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play brothers who conspire on a “victimless crime” with dire consequences, in one of the year’s best thrillers -and films. Co-starring Marisa Tomei, Amy Ryan, Rosemary Harris; one of the best films by the cinematic treasure Sidney Lumet. Rating: Four stars

L

ARS AND THE REAL GIRL flee from a towering monster (Comedy, PG-13, 106 m., that is destroying Manhattan; one of 2007). Ryan Gosling plays them carries a video127605 camera, andCLIENTS Lars Lindstrom, a painfully shy 1 04:10 5/22/02 the entire movie is shot “queasy- young man who can barely stand the cam” style. Undeniably scary, espetouch of another human being. One cially in the first 45 minutes when day he orders a life-sized love doll we don’t know quite what is causing through the Internet, using “Bianca” the crisis. Produced by J.J. Abrams, not for sex but for companionship. creator of TV’s “Lost.” Rating: Three He expects everyone else to treat stars. the doll the same way, including his

brother (Paul Schneider), sister-inlaw (Emily Mortimer) and therapist (Patricia Clarkson). Only after the movie is over do you realize what a balancing act it was, what risks it took, what rewards is contains.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, written

by Nancy Oliver (“Six Feet Under”).

Rating: Three and a half stars.

1

T

HE ORPHANAGE (Thriller, R, 106 m., 2007). Raised as a WV B/W 22:03 girl1/15/02 in an orphanage, Laura (Belen Rueda) returns as an adult to buy it and run it as a hospital for needful children. Married with a young son, she begins to have disturbing ideas and visions, and her son sees ghosts, or maybe they’re not ghosts. A superior psychological thriller by Juan Antonio Bayona, produced by Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) and depending not on shock but on a sense of mounting dread. Rating: Three and a half stars.

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HERE WILL BE BLOOD (Drama, R, 158 m., 2008).

Daniel Day-Lewis in a virtuoso performance as an obsessed loner, starting with nothing and becoming a California oil tycoon in a life dominated by greed, duplicity, hatred and loneliness. Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic is ambitious and relentless as the study of a human monster.

Magnificent visuals created by cinematographer Robert Elswit and set designer Jack Fisk. A debatable ending, and the film’s reach exceeds its grasp, which is not a dishonorable thing. Rating: Three and a half stars.

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HE SAVAGES (Drama, R, 113 m., 2007). The time has come for Wendy and Jon Savage (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) to relocate their aged father (Philip Bosco) from his retirement home to a nursing home. The process is difficult, opens old wounds and yet is not without humor. Dad is a hostile curmudgeon who doesn’t make it easier. The performances depend on nuance, and writer-director Tamara Jenkins is quietly insistent that we observe little moments and dropped words and exchanged glances. Rating: Three and a half stars.

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April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 37

We are all clouds.

It’s trippy to think about. It sounds like something you’d hear in a room with a blacklight, a lava lamp and a lingering haze of smoke. But in listening to Cloud Cult songwriter and frontman Craig Minowa describe his reasoning behind the abundance of cloud metaphors floating through the writing of latest release Feel Good Ghosts (Tea Partying Through Tornadoes), it’s clear that the comparison means much more.

“If there was a spiritual form of water it would be a cloud. The majority of our bodies are made up of water and you watch those spirits flowing overhead and mixing and mingling together … that cloud metaphor is really tapping into the spiritual element,” Minowa says.

It’s a romantic, if scientific, notion that he takes even further, talking about the interplay between bodies conversing at a club, the interweaving of “baby clouds”

from our mouths. “The mix of water in everyday life is so much more dynamic than we’re able to perceive.” So, too, is it in death.

Minowa speaks wistfully now as he recalls seeing watching this sort of spiritual evaporation first hand.

“Our son Kaidin, when he passed away [in 2002], we had him cremated. It was amazing how this vibrant life form can be reduced to just crystals and the rest is water vapor that drifts off into a cloud,” Minowa says. “It really is true, every one of us is a cloud.”

Suddenly the notion isn’t so silly. It’s not a sophomoric scientific revelation.

It’s not just a chic concept for some song lyrics. It’s a comfort, a positive spin one of the saddest times Minowa has faced. If our spirits merely mingle with the vapors, then a little bit of us is left to linger with the living. A pleasant thought for anyone who’s had a loved one pass on from their lives, and one Minowa explores with his soul-searching song (literally) “The Ghost Inside Our House.”

Tracks like that one put perspective on troubled times for the characters that inhabit Feel Good Ghosts, a wildly varied, but impeccably orchestrated volume of 13 songs that lyrically explores philosophies of both life and death. From opener “No One Said It Would Be Easy,” to the finale “Love You All,” the characters that comprise Minowa’s cast search for whatever happiness can be found in heartbreak.

Minowa notes that the characters in these latest additions to his song catalog have evolved a bit from those in his earlier albums.

“With Who Killed Puck ... the characters in general were depressed and weighed down, whereas the characters at this point going through those same types of settings are in the spot of having perspective,” Minowa says. “It’s a 50-50 thing. You’ve got what’s going on in front of you, which is your living experience, but the other 50 percent of it is how you decide to interpret it inside your own brain. That other 50 percent can have the ability to shape that experience into something beautiful, even though it may seem ugly to someone else’s perspective.”

It’s through that lens that these characters can march on through the ups and downs that yesterday held and tomorrow holds. The challenges never change, but the context can. So it is that one man’s cloud is another man’s soul.

Musically, the complex compositions, bursting at the seems with synths, strings and horns, never sound cluttered. Instead, the additional instruments and multiple layers create an awesome ambiance for these soul-shaking songs, such as the minute-and-a-half intro of plucked and pulled strings in “When Water Comes to Life.” The music builds behind dirgelike lyrics and turns what could have been a baleful ballad into a triumphant march capped by a glorious distortiondrowned guitar riff.

Despite the ironic “smile in the storm” subtitle — Tea Partying Through Tornadoes — raindrops never become rainbows, and the work never wanders into a hyperbolic happiness in the face of tragedy, largely thanks to the brilliant compositions that speak just as loudly as any of the album’s written lines. It’s a beautiful balancing act in which it’s easy to see a narrator who has found calm, if not contentment, after a storm.

• Cloud Cult performs live at the Rock & Roll Hotel, Saturday, April 19. Tickets are $10 for the all ages show. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.cloudcult.com.

Page 38

April 17 - 23, 2008

Anthony’s Restaurant 309 W. Broad St., Falls Church • 703-5320100 •Type of Food: Greek, American & Italian Cuisine • Features: Breakfast (Sat & Sun Only) • Hours: Mon-Thurs -10 am - 11 pm, Fri - 10 am -12 am, Sat - 8 am - 12 am, Sun - 8 am - 10 pm

Argia’s Restaurant 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church • 703-5341033 • www.argias.com • Type of Food: Italian • Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants, Zagat Rated, Full Bar, No Reservations • Hours: Lunch: Mon - Sat 11:30 am - 5 pm; Dinner: Mon - Thur 5 - 9:30 pm, Fri & Sat 5 - 10:30 pm, Sun 5 - 9 pm.

Bubba’s BBQ & Catering 7810-F Lee Hwy, Falls Church • 703-560-8570 • Type of Food: American/Family, Salads w/ Meat & Ribs • Features: Best BBQ East of Mississippi • Hours: Mon-Sat- 11 am - 9pm

Celebrity delly 7263-A Arlington Blvd. (Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703-573-9002 • Type of Food: Delicatessen • Features: Catering, Sandwiches, Submarines, Soups & Salads • Hours: Mon-Fri - 9 am - 9 pm, Sat - 8 am - 9 pm, Sun - 8 am - 4 pm

Chicken Corner 2816 Graham Rd., Falls Church (Next to Magruder's) • 703-573-0112 • Type of Food: Peruvian Pollo • Features: Rotisserie Chicken, subs, salads, fresh fish • Hours: Mon-Thu - 10:30 a.m. - 9 pm - 9 pm, Fri-Sat - 10 am - 930 pm.

Frozen Dairy Bar & Boardwalk Pizza 6641 Arlington Blvd. (Sleepy Hollow Shopping Center), Falls Church • 703-534-4200 • Type of Food: Ice Cream and Pizza Parlor • Features: Catering, Homemade Frozen Custard, Pizza Subs. • Hours: Sun-Thur - 11 am - 10 pm, Fri & Sat - 11 am - Midnight

Harvest Moon Restaurant and Lounge 7260 Arlington Blvd. (Graham Center across from Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703573-6000 • www.harvestmoon.com • Type of Food: Chinese • Features: Lunch / dinner buffets, banquet facilities up to 700 people • Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily.

Hoang’s Grill and Sushi Bar 502 W. Broad St., Falls Church • 703-536-7777 • Type of Food: Pan-Asian • Features: Single and Mingle Thursday Nights. • Hours: MonThurs 11 am - 10 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am - 10:30 pm, Sun - 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

Ireland’s Four Provinces 105 W. Broad St., Falls Church • www.4psfallschurch.com • 703-534-8999 • Type of Food: Irish • Features: Full Bar, Live Entertainment, Sunday Brunch • Hours: Daily - 11 am – 2 am

Koi Koi 450 W. Broad St., Ste. 117, Falls Church • 703-237-0101 • Type of Food: Japanese • Features: Sushi, Sashimi, Grill BBQ, Party Platters • Hours: Mon.–Thur. - 11 am – 10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sat.: Noon - 11 p.m., Sun. 4 - 10 p.m.

Ledo Pizza Restaurant & Pub 7510 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • 703-8475336 • Type of Food: Pizza & Pasta, American/ Family • Features: Full Bar, Wine Menu, 5 TV’s-Sports • Hours: Mon-Thur - 11 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat - 11 am-11 pm; Sun - 12-10 pm

The Original Pancake House 370 West Broad Street, Falls Church • 703891-0148 • www.originalpancakehouse.com • Type of Food: American/Family • Features: Breakfast, Weekday Specials - Breakfast & Lunch • Hours: 7 am - 3 pm Daily

Red Hot & Blue 169 Hillwood Ave., (Hillwood Square), Falls Church • 703-538-6466 • Type of Food: Memphis Style Bar-b-que • Features: Full Service Catering and Delivery • Hours: Sun. - Thu. 11 am - 9 pm, Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Robeks 1063 W. Broad St., (West End Plaza), Falls Church • 703-538-4111 • www.robeks.com • Type of Food: Smoothies, Juices, Wraps & Salads • Features: Catering • Hours: Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 9 pm, Sat. & Sun. 8 am - 9 pm.

Sign of the Whale 7279 Arlington Blvd. (Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703-573-1616 • Type of Food: American • Features: Seafood Night and Steak Night • Hours: 11:30 am - 2 am, 7 days a week

Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant 6304 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • 703-2373888; 2153 Chain Bridge Rd., Vienna • 703319-3888 • www.crystalsunflower.com • Type of Food: 99% vegan • Features: Japanese, Chinese, Continental • Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm; Sun 12 pm - 10 pm.

Sweet Rice Thai Restaurant 1113 W. Broad St. (next to Don Beyer Volvo), Falls Church • 703-241-8582 • Type of Food: Thai Cuisine • Features: Free delivery ($15 min., limited area) • Hours: Mon. - Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. 11:30 am - 11 p.m.; Sat. Noon - 11 p.m.; Sun. Noon - 10 p.m.

Velocity Five 8111 Lee Hwy. (Merrifield Plaza, Lee Hwy. and Gallows Rd.), Falls Church • www.velocityfiverestaurant.com • 703-207-9464 • Type of Food: American Grille • Features: 50 HD TVs, Private Banquet Rooms, DJ after 9:30 p.m. • Hours: Sun-Mon - 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

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Page 39

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Page 40

ATLANTA -- Wisconsin writer Lucy Saunders is one of the most knowledgeable and exuberant authorities on the subject of beer and food.

Saunders’ first book, “Cooking With Beer” (Time-Life Books, 1996) spawned a popular Web site: www.beercook.com. Her most recent books - “Grilling With Beer” (F&B Communications, $21.95) and “The Best of American Beer & Food: Pairing & Cooking With Craft Beer” (Brewers Publications, $22.95) - are lively compendiums of recipes, style and pairing guides, and profiles of beer chefs. For a taste of all that and more, check Saunders’ blog: www.bestofamerican beerandfood.com.

I caught up with Saunders while she was in Atlanta for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo, where she was busy researching barbecue trends and grill designs for future stories. But the first thing she wanted to do was sample some Southeastern craft brews and get a flavor of the local beer scene, so we went to Brick Store Pub in Decatur. Here’s a bit of what we talked about.

Q: Your latest book is “The Best of American Beer & Food: Pairing and Cooking With Craft Beer.” Explain why all those words in the title are important?

A: Most people still think of pub grub basics - burgers and pizza - when thinking of culinary matches for a glass of beer.

Yet the reality is that chefs all across North America recognize the broad spectrum of flavors possible in craft beer, and savvy drinkers are demanding better beer at the table. The term “craft beer” replaces the earlier description of “microbrewery,” as so many regional brewers have grown, and are brewing hundreds of thousands of barrels per year. Craft brewers use real malts and other quality ingredients, often with immense creativity in adapting traditional beer styles to the tastes of their customers.

Q: Part of the book is divided into six geographic regions. The Northwest, California and Colorado have long been hot spots for craft beer - how do you think the Southeast is coming along?

A: The region has many more craft breweries and befitting the trend toward the Southeast drawing a wider population, those breweries are appealing to affluent consumers willing to invest in hand-crafted beer to enjoy with specialty cheeses, artisan breads and locally grown foods. Thanks to progress in legislation permitting a wider range of beer styles of different strengths, craft brewers in the Southeast can be more creative.

Q: It’s already grilling season here in Atlanta, and your book “Grilling With Beer” presents lots of really good recipes. But first it asks the fundamental question: “Why grill with beer?”

A: Craft beer is the best companion to the smoky, seared flavors of grilled foods. When I began talking to people about grilling with beer, the common response was, “Is there any other way?”

The malts in craft beer add natural sweetness to marinades, mops, glazes and barbecue sauces, and enhance the browning of grilled foods. And the effervescence in beer makes it more refreshing to drink with barbecue, which is often very spicy or very rich.

Q: It would be crazy to ask you to name your favorite beers or foods, but are there some surefire pairings you’ve discovered that novices should try?

A: I love pairing craft beer with specialty cheeses and chocolate, and those are pairings that novices can enjoy with ease as no cooking is required. A sweet stout with a wedge of aged cheddar, or a hoppy IPA with a tangy Asiago cheese, or a malty brown ale with a buttery, soft ripened brie - these are some of my favorites. I also like bottle-conditioned ales with dried fruits such as apricots or plums, and dark chocolate. The bottle-conditioned ales have live yeast that contribute fruity esters and aromatics, which meld well with the flavors of the dried fruits and roasted notes in chocolate.

Q: What are the most interesting beer trends you’re spotting right now?

A: What is amazing to me is the continued creativity of the small brewer in adapting to very challenging economics. Water is precious, and many brewers in the Southeast are adapting their brewing techniques to conserve resources. Hops and malts are expensive and in short supply, but by adding culinary ingredients such as herbs and spices to new recipes, and often teaming up with local chefs in events and tastings, North American craft brewers are proving the adage, “beer is food.”

April 17 - 23, 2008

You need to make adjustments to your game when switching between cash games and tournaments. One important adjustment relates to blind stealing – making a pre-flop raise with the intention of winning the blinds by inducing players in the blinds to fold.

In most No Limit Hold’em tournaments, antes are introduced at some level which makes blind stealing even more lucrative. In cash games without antes, trying to steal blinds is rarely the goal because when you get a good hand, you want action. Skilled tournament players, on the other hand, try to avoid confrontation as much as possible. They’re happy to increase their chip stacks with a steady diet of blind stealing and small pot wins.

In tournaments, players typically raise when they enter the pot. In cash games, though, players are more likely to limp in before the flop. That’s because cash games are usually deeper-stacked meaning that players will have a higher ratio of chips in relation to the blinds than they would in a tournament. This results in looser play with players calling raises with a wide range of hands.

Also, there is generally less reraising in cash games. As a rule, in cash games, you want to see the flop cheaply. You can’t do that in tournaments as players are often forced to gamble with their marginal hands as antes are introduced and blinds increase.

Let’s take a look at how a hand like pocket sixes plays differently in a cash game versus tournament play.

You’re in a big cash game and you and your opponent each have more than 30,000 chips.

With blinds at 100-200, a player raises to 600 from early position. You’re sitting on the button. What’s the correct play?

In this situation, simply call the bet, see the flop, and hope that you get lucky and hit a set to win a big pot. Reraising preflop with 6-6 just isn’t much of an option. If you had raised and your opponent had a bigger pair, he’d likely make a strong reraise.

In that scenario, it would cost you too much to see the flop and your raise would be wasted.

Okay, same hand but this time you’re in a tournament with a 25 ante from nine players and your chip stack is only 5,500. With pocket sixes, you really only have two options: move all-in or fold.

Calling the 600 raise would put ten percent of your chips at risk and that’s too much to gamble

when you’re down to hoping for an unlikely third six. Folding your hand would be a better option.

Alternatively, you could push all-in and hope that everyone else folds, in which case you’d add more than twenty percent to your chip stack. If you do get called, you’d be a small favorite against two over cards like A-K or A-Q. In the worst case, you’d still have a twenty percent chance to win if your opponent had a higher pocket pair.

Another necessary adjustment relates to the size of your raises before the flop.

In tournaments, you want to steal the blinds as cheaply as possible without risking a high percentage of your chips. To do that, keep your pre-flop raises

small – no more than 2 ½ to 3 times the size of the big blind.

In cash games, you’re apt to see more players staying in to see the flop. If you have a hand worth playing, your best options are to either limp in or make a slightly larger pre-flop raise to build the pot and narrow the competition.

A raise of four times the big blind should do the trick.  Visit www.cardsharkmedia. com/book.html for information about Daniel Negreanu’s new book, Hold’em Wisdom for All Players. © 2008 Card Shark Media. All rights reserved.

SPRING IS HERE

DIAMOND CUTTERS MOWING SERVICE SPRING CLEAN-UP Mulching • Pruning • Leaf Removal Small 21” Mowers Used Exclusively • SAVE NOW! STARTING @ $29.95 Per Mowing Service CALL TODAY FOR FREE ESTIMATE!

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April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 41

crossword / By David Levinson Wilk Level: 1 2 3

4

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

4/20/08

© 2008 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

1. JFK’s predecessor 4. “La Vie en Rose” singer Edith 8. Like an airhead 13. Soviet ____ 14. Regarding 15. “No ____, Bob!” 16. Mournful-sounding instruments 18. Flood barriers 19. Singer impersonated on “Chappelle’s Show” 20. ____ Paolo, Brazil 22. Folk singer DiFranco 23. Prefix with dynamic 24. “’Scuse me?”

27. The Police, e.g.

30. Gave a new handle 31. UN delegate 34. Barbarian 36. Pointed arch 37. Choreographer Lubovitch 38. Saddle 41. Fail a polygraph 42. John Hersey’s “A Bell for ____” 44. Desex 45. Legal scholar’s deg.

46. Voids 49. Wry Bombeck 51. “Chantilly Lace” singer 53. Have a few words 57. Santa ____ winds 58. Baseball’s Maglie 59. “Deck the Halls” refrain 61. Seek help from 64. Punchlike beverage 66. Regard 67. Labor Dept. arm 68. Take the wrong way?

69. Encls. to editors 70. “Witness” director Peter 71. NBA star Ming

Down 1. Winger of “Terms of Endearment” 2. Explorer Sir Francis 3. Raring to go 4. Sandbox item 5. 2002 Eddie Murphy movie 6. Lunched, say 7. Best Musical of 1999 8. Go out, as embers 9. Rap producer Gotti

THE QUIGMANS Buddy Hickerson

1

2

3

4

13

5

6

14

16

20

32

33

42

28

29

25

26

12

55

56

22

35

38

36 39

40

41

44

43 47

45 49

48

51

50

52

57

53

58 62

11

30

34

46

61

10

21

24

37

9

18

19

27

8 15

17

23

31

7

59

63

64

54

60

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

© 2008 David Levinson Wilk

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk

ACROSS

10. Gym fixture 35. McBain and McMahon 11. Bit of monkey business? 39. Phone co. employee 1. predecessor 12.JFK's “I should say so!”

40. “This means ____!”

4.

Vie encalculation Rose" singer Edith 15."La Graph 43. Arrest 17.Like One grow on?

47. ____ salts 8. an to airhead 21.Soviet Part of USDA: Abbr.

48. Hot spot 13. ____ 24. Wimbledon champ, 50. Rights org.

14. Regarding 1976-80 52. Macaroni shape 15. ____, Bob!" 25."No Unidentified person 54. Like Bigfoot or Robin 16. instruments Williams 26.Mournful-sounding Joplin work 28.Flood “Domo arigato, Mr. ____ 55. Maker of Reynolds 18. barriers ”19. (lyric in a 1983 hit) Wrap Singer impersonated on "Chappelle's Show" 29. “Where did ____ 56. Popular exercise system 20. ____ Paolo, Brazil wrong?”

59. Alphabet run 22. singer DiFranco 31.Folk British actor knighted in 60. Not closed all the way 23.

Prefix with dynamic 2003 62. Born: Fr. 32."'Scuse Phraseme?" on some product 63. Some NFL blockers 24. labels 65. Put to work 27. The Police, e.g.

33. They’re not humble Across

30. Gave a new handle

Last Thursday’s Puzzle Solved 31. UN delegate 34.

CBarbarian H I L

P I P E A S S A S T O P F A R J A C O A G O G V E L A D D R P M O D I I R A Z Z Z E O E

I D I L A O R R A B H L I E S A S F Y A F G I E T

E L A L N L E A S T F L A

P I C O T S S A I E M T I G E A O A M N R I N E A D R I D O N O R D D A I L

S B E A E S A P L T E T N E R R A N G S E E J A D W U R S E S S S T A L P A F O R L E R O S W I P

A Q U A E L A T

O D I E

nick knack

© 2008 N. F. Benton

Page 42

April 17 - 23, 2008

Announcements

ROUTE 50 OFFICE WITH SIGNAGE

ATTIC TREASURE SALE

Saturday, May 3th, 10am - 1pm. Donations accepted Friday May 2nd 9am - 9pm at Falls Church Community Center. Benefits activites of Village Preservation + Improvement Society.

For Sale

Services BRICK & STONE RESTORATION

Call us for brick, stone, steps, walkways, patios and all types of repairs and installation. Powerwashing & ceiling too. Jeff Cadle 703/698-1390

EDUCATIONAL COACH/TUTOR

COPIER SUPER SALE

Home-Based Tutoring Services. Experienced Qualified & Caring. Bill Connors 314-348-1346

Award Winning Richo Copiers, Fax and Printers New and Rebuilt Call Washington Photocopy 703-560-3900.

FAMILY DAY HOME

Opening all ages - State Licensed - First Aid/CPR Trained - 9 years experience. Call Anjo 703577-5287

DIGITAL TRANSFERS

Record and tapes to CD. Home videos to DVD. WWW.SAVEITONCD.COM 703-263-9212

FOR SALE PARK TOWER CONDO

Extra Large 2bed, 1Ba unit for sale. 1100 square feet, extra storage, pool, updated kitchen, great condition, no investors, no pets. Email Suzanne@ Buckrealtors.com 703-395-8741

Mulch Top Soil Wood Chips

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NEW DOUBLE CRYPT - ABOVE GROUND

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3 office suite at 6500 Arlington Blvd. $1,125mo incl util 703/243-4808

Bargain

Help Wanted CHILD CARE

Experienced childcare provider provides quality care for your infant in F.C. home. (703) 241-0605.

CLEANING HELP WANTED

Cleaning,buffing floors, Falls Church area. $9.00 hr. 7am-9:30am. 1/800-342-2104

COPY SHOP OPERATOR

Part Time person to run copy machines and take customer orders. Computer knowledge required.

Monday through Friday 8:30am to 1:30pm. Call Quick Copy 703-532-9190

DRIVERS/ LOCAL CDL-A

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Start at 5:00 PM till 9:00 PM. 20 hours per week.

Call Quick Copy 703-532-9190

HELP WANTED

Sheet Metal Mechanic or experienced helper.

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INFANT CENTER SUPERVISOR

Fairfax Preschool established since 1983 is looking for a mature individual to fill the position of Infant Supervisor. Position is Full Time. 2 yrs experience required. Must have strong command of English Language, criminal records check required. Competitive Salary, All Fed Holidays paid/off. Earned Leave, Healthcare, 401K, Paid Annual Training. Call 703.698.8050 Fax 703.698.8154 E.O.E.

LUBE TECHNICIAN WANTED

Experienced lube-tech wanted for busy lubeshop in Falls Church VA call Julio at 703-380-7281.

SALES MANAGER NEEDED

Looking for a experienced sales manager for medical equipment and supply company. Hours are flexible, part-time or full-time position. Position available immediately. Please call 703-481-6666

SUPPORT POSITION

Key data, operate copy machine and scanner.

Keyboard skills and computer knowledge required. Call SAID Inc. 703-532-9190

GIT RID OF IT

For Removal of Junk, Trash, Yard Debris, Appliances, Furniture & Estate clean-ups. Call 703-533-0094/571-251-5962

HANDYMAN

Spring is here. Do you need painting, drywall or repairs done. Call Sam the Handyman. 703-2376134 or 703 283-0955

HANDYMAN SERVICE

Windows, doors, rotted wood, petdoors, lighting, fans, faucets, fences, bath, Flat screen TV installation and kitchen remodeling. Insured Free estimates. Call Doug (703) 556-4276 www. novahandyman.com

HONEY-DO HANDYMAN

Cosmetic Home repairs and inspections.

Painting, plumbing, electrical service, carpentry. Bsmts and bathrooms finished.

Problem solver with references. Gutter cleaning & repair. Subpumps, drainage, snaking. Tree removal and expert landscape service by Certified Arborist. Decks, fencing, siding & roof repairs. Service calls for appliances. 703-560-0799.

HOUSE CLEANING BY JAKELIN

Licensed, Honest, Experienced, References. Call 703-863-3821

Excellent

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE

Available 7 days a week. Week, biweekly, monthly or one time. Good references in Falls Church City.

10 years experience. For further information call me at 703-848-8322. Senior discount, Ask: Susy.

House Cleaning Service. Low rates.

Good references. Call Dolores 571/2321091.

LAWN & GARDEN

Lawn mowing, cleaning, mulching & edging. Low rates. Call Ernesto 703-932-9565

MARIAS HOUSE CLEANING

Good References & experience, 703-395-5971 or 703-231-4135

MORALES LANDSCAPE & LAWN CARE

Spring Clean - Up, Mulching, seeding & many others. Call David (o) 703-502-3990 or (c) 571221-4330

ORGANIZING

Having the need to become better organized? This is the time to do it. Don’t go at it alone - this is what I do best. Let’s get started! Call 703.981.6993

PREVENT FORECLOSURE

Owe less than $250,000 on your home and need to sell? Contact local family looking to buy. fairfaxhome@yahoo.com

PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT

and renovations, reasonable rates, painting, drywall, carpentry, deck, fence, siding, tile, electrical, plumbing. FREE ESTIMATES. Please call 703655-2838.

For Rent FC ROOMS FOR RENT

2 rooms and bath in private home for a senior lady.

55 and older, non smokers only need apply. Rent negociable. 571-330-4466. Ask for Marlene.

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Office Space, located right off Lee Highway, near Merrifield area. $1350 per month (includes utilities). Office is on Mary Street. Call:703-573-3029 or email:vat@treestrees.com for further information.

ROOM FOR RENT

Female, Non Smoker to share house in FC. Metro & bus nearby Call 703-798-4743

News-Press Classifieds Remember, New Classified Deadlines: Every Tuesday, 2 p.m.!

Public Notices ABC LICENSE

The following establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL for an Internet Wine Retailer license to sell alcoholic beverages: Wilkinson Wine Cellar, LLC, headquarated and trading at 7601 Brittany Parc Court, Falls Church, Virginia 22043; maintaining commercial storage space and trading at 11199 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. This notice was authorized

by Stephanie Wilkinson, Member and Registered Agent of Wilkinson Wine Cellar, LLC.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ON PROPOSED BUDGET BY THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinances referenced below were given first reading and a public hearing on Monday, March 24, 2008. The public hearings will continue on April 14 and April 28, 2008, with second reading and final action scheduled for April 28, 2008 – all at 7:30 p.m., Official Time, or as soon thereafter as may be heard.

(TO8-07) Ordinance Setting The Rate Of Tax Levy On Real Estate, Personal Property And Machinery And Tools, And All Other Property Segregated By Law For Local Taxation In The City Of Falls Church, Virginia, For The Tax Year 2008. [Tax rate of $1.04 per $100 of assessed value.]

(TO8-08) Ordinance Fixing And Determining The Budget Of Expenditures And Revenues, Appropriating Funds For The Fiscal Year 2008-2009: General Fund; School Operating Fund; School Community Service Fund; And School Food Service Fund; Water Revenue Fund And Sewer Revenue Fund And Approval Of The Capital Improvement Plan NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS The ordinance referenced below was given first reading and a public hearing on Monday, March 10, 2008, and referred to the Planning Commission and other boards and commissions; with second reading and a public hearing scheduled for April 14, 2008.

(TR8-17) Resolution Amending And Reenacting Resolution 2004-30 Granting Special Exception SE04-0162 For Mixed Use Development At 400-412 South Maple Avenue (RPC# 52-309-023), Known As “500 South Maple Avenue” To Atlantic Realty Companies, Inc. And Their Successors.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the following ordinance and resolution were given first reading on March 10, 2008, and referred to the Planning Commission and other boards and commission. The second reading and a public hearing scheduled for April 28, 2008 has been postponed to MAY 12, 2008.

(TO8-06) An Ordinance to Amend the Official Zoning District Map of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, by Rezoning Approximately 0.68 Acres of Land from T-1, Transitional District to B-1, Limited Business District for the properties with the Real Property Code Numbers 51-131-020, 51-131-021, 51-131-022, 51-131-023, and 51-131-029 by Jefferson Park LLC. (TR8-18) A Resolution to Grant a Special Exception for Commercial Height Bonus for Approximately 1.12 Acres of Land With the Real Property Code Numbers 51-131006, 51-131-007, 51-131-020, 51-131-021, 51-131-022, 51-131-023, and 51-131-029 by Jefferson Park LLC. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Copies of legislation may be obtained from the City Clerk’s office (703248-5014) or at cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.

This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Special services or assistance to persons with disabilities may be requested in advance. To speak at a public hearing, fill out a speaker slip and give it to the Clerk at the left front table.

Speakers will be called forward by the Mayor at the appropriate time.

KATHLEEN CLARKEN BUSCHOW CITY CLERK

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The Falls Church News-Press accepts no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements. Advertising which has minor discrepancies such as misspelling or small type transposition, but which do not affect the ability of the reader to respond to the ad will be considered substantially correct and full payment is required. The Falls Church News-Press is not responsible if the original copy is not typewritten or legible and clear. The Falls Church News-Press is not responsible for copy changes made by telephone.

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING On Monday, April 21, 2008, and Monday, May 5, 2008, the City of Falls Church Planning Commission, at 7:45 p.m. will hold public hearings during their regularly scheduled meetings, in City Hall, Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22046, on the following applications: (TO8-06) An Ordinance to Amend the Official Zoning District Map of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, by Rezoning Approximately 0.68 Acres of Land from T-1, Transitional District to B-1, Limited Business District for the properties with the Real Property Code Numbers 51-131020, 51-131-021, 51-131-022, 51-131-023, and 51-131-029 by Jefferson Park LLC. (TR8-18) A Resolution to Grant a Special Exception for Commercial Height Bonus for Approximately 1.12 Acres of Land With the Real Property Code Numbers 51-131-006, 51-131-007, 51-131-020, 51-131-021, 51131-022, 51-131-023, and 51-131-029 by Jefferson Park LLC. Interested persons may appear and present their views at one or both public hearings.

Information on or copies of the proposed Ordinance and Resolution may be viewed in the Planning Division, City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 703-248-5040.

Attention: Starting with the May 1 edition, there will be new classified ad rates Classified Ad Rates Beginning May 1: Classified Ad: $20 for up to 20 words (First two words of each ad are bold and all caps)

Each additional word: 50¢ per word Bold a Word: $1 per word Add a Box Around Ad: $10 Call 703-532-3267 and ask for Danielle for more info

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF ARLINGTON In Re: CM08-123 Order

IT APPEARING to the court that a Petition has been filed requesting the Court to order a referendum to be held pursuant to Va. Code Ann. §24.2682 in the City of Falls Church on the question of “ Should the City of Falls Church amend the City Charter as follows: The Council may approve a project, including a pending project, for construction on commericallyzoned property only if at least sixty (60) percent of the total project’s square footage will be used for commercial or retail purposes. The City Council may not, by special exception or other approval, allow more than forty (40) percent of such a project’s square footage to be used for residential purposes.”

And it having been certified to the court by the General Registrar of the City of Falls Church that such a petition has been signed by registered voters equal to or greater than ten (10) percent of the largest number of votes cast in any general or primary election held in the city during the past five (5) years; it is therefore ADJUDGED, ORDERED and DECREED that the general election to be held on May 6, 2008, a Tuesday that is a least sixty days following the entry of this order, the qualified voters of the City of Falls Church on the following question to be printed on the ballot: Should the City of Falls Church amend the City Charter as follows: The City Council may approve a project, including a pending project, for construction on commericially-zoned property only if at least sixty (60) percent of the total project’s square footage will be used for commerical or retail purposes. The City Council may not, by special exception or other approval, allow more than forty (40) percent of such a project’s square footage to be used for residential purposes.

Yes_______ No_______ The Clerk of the Court shall cause notice of the referendum to be published once a week for (3) consecutive weeks prior to the election in the Falls Church News-Press, a newspaper having general circulation in the City of Falls Church and a copy of the notice shall be posted during the same on the door of the City of Falls Church Courthouse.

The Clerk of the Court shall send a copy of the Order to the State Board of Elections and the Secretary of the Electoral Board of the City of Falls Church. The election shall be held and the results shall be certified as provided in §24.2-684 of the Code of Virginia.

Submit Your Classified Ads Every Week On-Line www.fcnp.com

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 43

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Licensed Work

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Home Improvement

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Government contract law, all areas of business and corporate law.

Roof Replacements Rubber Roofs • Flat Roofs Leak Specialists • Roof Coatings Chimney • Repair Facia&Soffit Decks Built&Repaired • Coatings Wood Repair • Drywall Repair Gutters • Siding • Ext.&Int. Painting 24 hr. Emergency Service

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Residential & Commercial Tree Service & Snow Removal

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with

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Held at 111 Park Avenue Falls Church on Tuesday Evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Cost: $90 On-going monthly enrollment Enroll on-line at www.creativecauldron.org Or call 571-239-5288

FOOD & DINING

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Postage Stamp Gardens for town homes and city dwellings

REMODELING & ADDITION, CERAMIC, TILE, FINISHED CARPENTRY, CROWN MOLDING, CHAIRS, DECK RAILS, STAIR, WINDOWS, DOORS, CONCRETE, SIDEWALKS, DRIVEWAYS, BRICK INSTALLED & REPAIRED

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THE NEWS-PRESS BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY CALL 703-532-3267 TO ADVERTISE TODAY!

TO ADVERTISE!

Ask about our specials!

Business & Service Directory 1 x 1” Ad 3 mo. = $220 • 6 mo. = $400 • 1 yr. = $725 1 x 1.5” Ad 3 mo. = $330 • 6 mo. = $600 • 1 yr. = $1100 1 x 2” Ad 3 mo. = $440 • 6 mo. = $800 • 1 yr. = $1450

1 x 2” 1 x 1.5” 1 x 1”

Page 44

April 17 - 23, 2008

Mayor Robin S. Gardner . . . . . . . . . .

Vice Mayor M. R. Lindy Hockenberry . . . .

City Council David C. Chavern . . . . . . . . . .

Harold Lippman. . . . . . . . . . .

Daniel Maller . . . . . . . . . . . . .

David F. Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . .

Daniel X. Sze . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

City Manager Wyatt Shields. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Home Page <www.fallschurchva.gov> * Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

APRIL 17 Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

Human Services Advisory Council, 7 p.m.

Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee, 7 p.m.

Board of Zoning Appeals, 7:30 p.m.

Environmental Services Council, 7:30 p.m.

19 Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon

Spring Cleanup & Picnic, 10 a.m., Community Center Arbor Day Celebration, 3 p.m.

Passover Begins at Sundown

20 First Day of Passover 21 City Meals Tax Due

(Commissioner of the Revenue)

Yard Waste, Bundled Brush, & Special Collections

Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

City Council Work Session, 7:30 p.m.

Planning Commission, 7:45 p.m.

22 Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

provided as a public service by the city of falls church

Questions or Comments? City of Falls Church, Harry E.Wells Building, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church,VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

city calendar

The Week

703-534-8644 703-241-0934 703-538-2398 703-237-9089 703-731-8433 703-241-0419 703-538-5986 703-248-5004*

School Board, 7:30 p.m.

Earth Day

23 General District Court in Session

EDA Development Forum, 7-9 p.m.

Story Hour, 7 p.m.

City of Falls Church FY 2009 Proposed Budget Government Spending Down 0.3%; School Spending Up 3.7% On March 13, the City Manager submitted a Budget proposal for the City Council’s consideration that provides for full funding of the School Board’s proposed budget, and reduces spending for general government services.

With this decline in revenues, the proposed budget prioritizes resources to meet the Council’s Vision and Strategic Plan. The Council is carefully reviewing this Budget, and held public hearings on March 28 and April 14; they will hold a final public hearing and vote on Monday, April 28.

The charts below are intended to provide a brief overview of the proposed budget. The proposed Budget and City Council Vision and Strategic Plan are available on the Government page at www.fallschurchva.gov.

Tax Rates The Budget proposal includes an increase in the real estate rate from $1.01 per $100 of assessed value to $1.04. Due to declines in property assessments, the median tax bill for single family homeowners will decline by $112. While the tax bill for the average homeowner will decline next year, new construction and growth in the value of commercial real estate will push overall property tax revenue up by 3.5 percent.

All other tax rates remain unchanged.

Expenditures General Government School Transfer Pay-As-You-Go Total Where the City gets its revenue:

FY 2008 $ 38,300,348 29,076,300 3,414,000 $ 70,792,656

FY 2009 $ 38,178,480 30,147,600 1,411,669 $ 69,737,749

Change - 0.32% 3.68% - 59.00% - 1.50%

How the City spends those funds:

24 Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

Historic Architectural Review Board, 7:30 p.m.

EDA FORUM: Economic Development Questions Surrounding the Charter Referendum Wednesday,April 23,2008,7-9 p.m.

Visit www.fallschurchva.gov for details.

116th Arbor Day Celebration This Saturday This year’s Arbor Day celebration will be held Saturday, April 19 at 3 p.m. at Frady Park (300 Block of East Broad Street at Fairfax Street)—the site of the first Arbor Day celebration in the City of Falls Church and in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The public is invited to this FREE event, which will feature an “Arbor Day Reflections” reenactment by the Falls Church Victorian Society, and a presentation of the City’s 30th consecutive Tree City USA award by the National Arbor Day Foundation. For more information, please call the City Arborist at 703-248-5183 (TTY 711).

The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5183 (TTY 711).

FOR THE WEEK of

Education 43% • $30.1 M Real Estate Taxes 55% • $38.4 M

Public Safety 12% • $8.6 M Personal Property Taxes 5% • $3.2 M Sales & Use Taxes 14% • $9.6 M Business Licenses 5% • $3.2 M State & Federal 5% • $3.6 M Charges for Services 3% • $2.0 M Other 13% • $9.3 M Licenses & Permits 1% • $915,624

General Government 9% • $6.3 M Public Works 8% • $5.4 M Debt Service 8% • $5.3 M Recreation, Parks, & Library 7% • $4.6 M

General Fund New Initiatives The proposed budget maintains support for vital City services. The budget was developed to meet several new community needs based on the Council Vision Statement and Strategic Work Plan.

• Photo Red. Funding is provided to implement a red light camera program through the Police Department. First-year costs are $482,373, of which $427,500 is estimated to be offset by ticket revenues. A new Police Sergeant position is proposed to oversee the Photo Red program and manage compliance with state accreditation standards. This position is offset by de-funding an administrative position, and is funded by new revenues generated by red light violations. (Vision Principle: Neighborhood Preservation.)

• City Center Project Manager.

A developer proffer of $125,000 will fund the creation of a new professional Project Manager position to oversee the City Center South development.

(Vision Principle: Special Place.)

At-Risk Youth.

• Mentoring The Budget provides $20,000 in new funding for a new volunteerbased youth mentoring program, in partnership with the Virginia Tech Center next to George Mason High School. (Vision Principle: Word Class Government and Public Outreach.)

• Environment. The Budget provides $20,000 in new funding to comprehensively measure the City’s overall energy use; enabling the City to track its efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions and reduce operating expenses. (Vision Principle: Environmental Harmony.)

Water and Sewer Water and sewer rates remain unchanged for the third year in a row.

Water Fund Expenditures Rates Sewer Fund Expenditures Rates

FY 2008 FY 2009 $22,999,100 $21,153,353 $3.03 $3.03 FY 2008 FY 2009 $5,631,898 $7,095,604 $5.91 $5.91

Other 11% • $7.7 M

FY 2009 Proposed Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Program Review Schedule

Pay-As-You-Go Capital 3% • $1.9 M

April 21 • City Council Work Session, City Hall Training Center, 7:30 p.m.

• Budget Wrap Up

View the proposed Budget and City Council Vision and Strategic Plan online at www.fallschurchva.gov.

April 28 • City Council Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers,7:30 p.m.

• Public Hearing #3 and Final Adoption The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 45

ly Focus

Chairman: Craig Cheney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vice Chairman: Ronald Peppe II . . . . . . . . . .

School Board Rosaura Aguerrebere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kathryn Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Susan Kearney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kieran Sharpe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joan Wodiska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Superintendent: Dr. Lois Berlin . . . . . . . . . . .

government and the falls church city public schools

April 17-23, 2008

For more news about the Falls Church City Public Schools visit: www.fccps.org

Substance Abuse Counselor to Support Mason Students The Alcohol and Drug Youth Services office of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board is placing a substance abuse counselor at George Mason High School to help students succeed academically and socially. Counselor Karen Case will provide confidential substance abuse prevention and intervention consultation to students, free of charge, on Fridays beginning April 25th.

High School student body (grades 9 -12), which measures student drug, tobacco and alcohol use. FCCPS students and parents can contact Case at casek@fccps.org or call 703-248-5543 ext. 3175 on Fridays between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

You may view the PRIDE survey at: www.fccps.org/cia

Case’s appointment is in response to alarming results of last year’s PRIDE survey of the George Mason

FCC-TV Spotlight: League of Women Voters City Council Candidate Forum Tune in to Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) to watch the League of Women Voters City Council Candidate Forum. Candidates for the three positions on the Falls Church City Council participated in the forum, and were posed questions from the audience and sponsoring organizations.

The LWV City Council Candidates Forum airs on FCC-TV at the following times: • Sunday, April 20th at 10:00 a.m.

• Tuesday, April 22nd at 12:00 Noon • Sunday, April 27th at 10:30 a.m.

• Monday, April 21st at 9:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, April 23rd at 8:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 29th at 7:30 p.m.

April now -

4/25 SELP, SOL VAAP, VGLA & VSEP Testing (TJ/MEH/GM) 17

The annual GMHS IB Art Show opens to the public April 23rd and 24th in the George Mason High School auditorium. The gallery will be open from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each night.

The summer enrichment camp will run Monday, June 23 – Thursday, July 3, 2008. The classes will be held from 9am-12pm each day at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, 7130 Leesburg Pike.

Children currently in grades 2-7 may apply for enrollment in the Summer Enrichment Camp. Class sizes are limited and will be filled

Joe Moore Moore Cadillac Hummer School involvement: Joe is a sponsor of the Falls Church Education Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Dinner and other fundraising efforts including the George Mason High School Athletic Boosters’ stadium field lighting project.

Why Joe is a BIE partner: Having received his K-12 education in Falls Church City Public Schools, Joe is grateful for the education those schools are capable of providing. Both in athletics and scholastics, Falls Church City Schools provide a challenging and positive environment for young people in a very competitive region. Joe believes it is important for local businesses to give back to the communities that support them. Supporting Falls Church education is a tradition that he learned from his mother, Sally Ekfelt, who served as school board chairman and PTA president.

For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.

School content published in The Weekly Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, contact the Falls Church City Public Schools Communications Office. Phone: (703) 248-5699 Fax: (703) 248-5613.

5:00 p.m. Mason @ Clarke Co. (G Tennis) 7:15 p.m. Mason @ Potomac Falls (G Lacrosse) 7:30 p.m. Potomac Falls @ Mason (B Lacrosse) 7:30 p.m. 5th-7th Grade Chorus Concert (MEH)

18

4:00 p.m. Yorktown @ Mason (B Tennis) 4:00 p.m. Mason @ Yorktown (G Tennis)

This charcoal drawing entitled “Good Morning” was among the dozens of works on display during the 2007 IB art show.

7:00 p.m. Mason @ Strasburg (Softball/Baseball/G Soccer) 7:30 p.m. Fashion Show (GM) 21

5:00 p.m. Freedom @ Mason (Softball) 6:00 p.m. Wakefield @ Mason (G Lacrosse)

The Falls Church City Public Schools’ 2008 Summer Enrichment Camp offers FCCPS students in grades 2-7 the opportunity to pursue individual interests during a 9-day enrichment academy. All instructional activities will be developed and delivered by FCCPS educators.

FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2. For more information about FCC-TV, or complete schedule of the variety of community programs on FCC-TV, visit www.fcctv.net or call 703-248-5538.

BIE Partner of the Week

SCHOOL CALENDAR DATES ARE SubjEcT To chAngE

To George Mason High School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) art students, it’s part of their final exam. To visitors, it’s an impressive display of student talent that demonstrates creative skill far beyond the young artists’ years.

Summer Enrichment Registration Opens Monday Karen Case, GMHS Substance Abuse Counselor

703-536-8638 703-536-7564 703-532-0321 703-536-3130 703-533-1248 703-248-5601*

* Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

Public Invited to IB Art Show

In addition to exhibiting their artistic creations, students must defend their work and ideas to art experts from outside the school as part of their exam.

“Students can come to me if they are feeling peer pressure about using drugs or they’ve experimented with them and are now scared,” Case said. “Parents often come to me when they’ve found their children using drugs or are concerned about their student’s wellbeing as they move from middle school to high school.”

703-237-6931 703-534-4951

7:00 p.m. Mason @ Clarke Co. (G Soccer) 7:30 p.m. Wakefield @ Mason (B Lacrosse) 22

4:30 p.m. Mason @ Freedom (B Tennis) 4:30 p.m. Freedom @ Mason (G Tennis) 5:00 p.m. Rappahannock @ Mason (Baseball/Softball) 5:30 p.m. Mason @ Rappahannock (B Soccer)

on a first-registered, first-filled basis with priority given to families who register in person at the FCCPS Central Office located on the third floor at 803 W. Broad Street.

5:30 p.m. Rappahannock @ Mason (G Soccer) 6:30 p.m. School Board Work Session (City Hall)

Registration begins on Monday, April 21, 2008. For more information visit: www.fccps.org/sec.

7:30 p.m. School Board Regular Meeting (City Hall) 7:30 P.M. PTA & 5TH Grade Band Concert (MEH)

Save the Date

May 8, 2008 – 5:00 p.m.

Mary Ellen henderson Middle School A Reception Honoring: 2008 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher and award nominees

For a sneak peak and ticket information visit www.fallschurchpta.org/hgtour

2008 Support Staff Employee of the Year and award nominees

23

4:00 p.m. Gonzaga @ Mason (B Tennis) 5:00 p.m. Strasburg @ Mason (B/G Track)

24

4:15 p.m. Natl. Cathedral @ Mason (G Tennis) 5:00 p.m. JEB Stuart @ Mason (Softball) 7:15 p.m. Mason @ Freedom (G Lacrosse)

2008 Distinguished Educational Leader

7:30 p.m. Family Life Education Adv. Comm. (GM)

Summer Day Care Registration Opens

7:30 p.m. Freedom @ Mason (B Lacrosse)

Falls Church City Public Schools is accepting registration for summer day care and the middle school summer activities program. The programs will be offered from June 16th through August 22nd from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. each day.

Children entering the 1st through 8th grades are eligible to attend. An exciting summer is planned with special guests, fabulous field trips, swimming, a daily literacy program, arts and crafts, music and much, much more.

Registration forms are available at www.fccps.org/asap. The program is open to all community children. Those who do not attend Falls Church City Public Schools must submit a copy of immunization records and an original birth certificate with their day care registration.

Space is limited, so register soon to ensure your children’s enrollment in the summer day care program!

(MD) Mt. Daniel Elementary (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High Check the FCCPS Web site for more calendar information. www.fccps.org

April 17 - 23, 2008

Page 46

BACK IN THE DAY dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the w No for all time cows od go me to to coaid of the pastheir Now ture.

15 s Yearo Ag

time is the all for cows good me to to coaid of the pastheir Now ture. time is the all for cows good me to to coaid of the their.

15 & 10 YEARS AGO Falls Church News-Press Vol III, No. 5 • April 22, 1993

‘Council Plans $1.02 Tax Rate, Cut In Business Taxes in Monday Vote’ “The Falls Church City Council reached a tentative concensus at a work session in City Hall last Monday night to approved a Fiscal Year 1994 budget at its next meeting that would hold the line on taxes for both home owners and businesses.”

“The Council will vote the full budget package at its meeting this Monday night at City Hall at 7:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to speak...”

Helen Thomas Continued from Page 10

-tion proceed.

Eleanor Roosevelt, the icon of all first ladies in the 20th century, plunged into the social issues of the day.

She took a bold stand -- for the times -- in resigning her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution when the DAR shamefully barred Marian Anderson, the famed contralto, from singing at Constitution Hall because she was black.

As the result of Mrs. Roosevelt’s intervention, the concert was held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday 1939. Her electrifying performance drew 75,000 people and made civil rights history.

Later, despite a written appeal from author Pearl Buck, Mrs. Roosevelt said she regretted the need to relocate more than 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. It had to be done, the first lady insisted.

IN THE

NEWS-P PREESS

Falls Church News-Press Vol VIII, No. 6 • April 23, 1998

It is now the time for all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

CRITTER CORNER 10 Year s Ago

It is now the time for all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * * * Throw Pour it it up. up

‘Final Vote on FY99 Budget is Monday Night’ “When the Falls Church City Council meets this Monday night, it will have before it a revised FY99 budget proposal that contains no real estate tax increase, and the full request of the School Board for the coming year. “(they) also agreed to eliminate the proposal for an Amusement Tax on the new State Theatre, and to provide the equivalent of a 1% cost-of-living adjustment in compensation to City employees.”

Buck -- who spent a lifetime trying to build links between East and West -- had written to Mrs. Roosevelt “as one woman to another.”

Buck told the first lady: “The way these people are being treated is so much more German than it is American.”

Also included in the book is a letter to Mrs. Roosevelt from Pvt. Clifton Searles, a black man serving in the Army. He was visiting Washington in 1943 and waiting to be sent overseas in World War II. Searles said he had gone into a drug store and asked for a Coke, which was served to him in a paper cup, although other customers who were white were being served their sodas in glasses. When he asked the man behind the counter why the difference, he was told it was the “policy of the store.”

Searles sent Mrs. Roosevelt the crushed paper cup and said wryly: “I’m going to feel fine, fighting in a Jim Crow (segregated) army for a Jim Crow government.”

Mrs. Roosevelt wrote back that she understood his bitterness but

told him that he would not have had the freedom to write under the Germans and Japanese. She did try to offer comfort by telling him that larger groups of white people were gathering who were conscious of racial wrongs and who were working “to correct them.”

In President Johnson’s letter to Jackie Kennedy, he told her that she “has a warm place in the heart of history.”

He added a rueful note: “I only wish things could be different and I didn’t have to be here.”

Words do count. They seem to have more meaning in handwritten letters. © 2008 Hearst Newspapers

SITTING POISED atop the Schoelen Family living room side table, Boots the Cat is ready to mingle at the Kittens n’ Cool Cats formal he plans on attending decked out in his white bib and paws tuxedo. Not only can Boots dance circles around fiesty, feminine felines at any given black tie event, but, according to his owners, this cat loves to talk. At the young age of four-years, this tiny tiger can be found playing in boxes when he’s not attending proms or weddings. Ladies, he’s permanently dressed to a T, likes to talk, and is willing to take care of those boxes you plan on tossing in the garbage. Of course, it’s up to Boots himself, but it looks like he’s made for walkin’ into the hearts of gals all over.

If you would like to see your pet here, e-mail us at crittercorner@fcnp.com or send a picture and short description to Falls Church News-Press c/o Critter Corner, 450 W. Broad St., Suite 321, Falls Church, VA 22046.

An Exclusive Invitation to Brighton Gardens of Arlington

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Workshop Series Guiding Families Through the Journey with Brighton Gardens of Arlington Providing direct care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia can be a rewarding, exhausting and frustrating experience. Sunrise Senior Living understands and has been assisting families with Alzheimer’s and dementia care since 1981.

Over a six-month period, this series will cover: ÊÊUÊ >À }]Ê « }Ê> `Ê1 `iÀÃÌ> ` }Ê i i Ì > ÊÊUÊ i> Ì ÞÊ À> Ê } } ÊÊUÊ7 ÃiÊ i >Û ÀÊ ÃÊ,i> ÞÊÌ iÊ*À L i ¶Ê-ÌÀ>Ìi} iÃÊÌ ÊÊÊÊÊ iÃÌÊ > >}iÊ > i } }Ê ÀÊ1 Ü> Ìi`Ê i >Û ÀÃÊ ÊÊUÊ-ÕVViÃÃvÕ Ê Õ V>Ì ÃÊÜ Ì Ê i ÀÞ «> Ài`ÊÊ ÊÊÊÊÊ ` Û `Õ> à ÊÊUÊ > >} }Ê >Ài} ÛiÀÊ-ÌÀiÃÃÊ ÊÊUÊ «iÊ/ À Õ} Ê Ü i`}iÊ Ê,iÃi>ÀV ÊÌ >ÌÊ «>VÌÃÊ ÊÊÊÊÊ i i Ì >° -«i> iÀÃÊ>ÀiÊ«À Û `i`ÊLÞÊ/ iÊ â i iÀ½ÃÊ Ãà V >Ì Ê of the National Capital Area.

RSVP for you and a friend today!

Brighton Gardens of Arlington

703-294-6875

EVENT DETAILS

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Workshop Series Co-sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association of the National Capital Area

Tuesday, April 22nd 6:30pm-8:00pm RSVP to Gary Hughes at 703-294-6875 or Arlingtonbg.dcr@sunriseseniorliving.com Sunrise Senior Living is committed to furthering the knowledge of senior living topics through events and seminars designed to help and inform seniors and their caregivers.

3821 Wilson Blvd., Arlington

`i«i `i ÌÊ Û }ÊUÊ ÃÃ ÃÌi`Ê Û }ÊUÊ i ÀÞÊ >Ài

For more information and a FREE online newsletter, visit www.sunriseseniorliving.com

April 17 - 23, 2008

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Page 47

Accounting

Diener & Associates, CPA. . . . . . . . . 241-8807 Demeo PLLC, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931-0815 Eric C. Johnson, CPA, PC . . . . . . . . 538-2394 Mark Sullivan, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-4511 Hahn & Associates, PC, CPAs . . . . . 533-3777

ANTIQUES & cOLLECTIBLES

Falls Church Antique Company . . . . 241-7074 Antique Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-9642

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Cleaning Services

Pressure Washing/Deck, Siding . . . . 980-0225 Maid Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823-1922 Carpets, Ducts, Windows . . . . . . . . . 823-1922

Hobbies & Collectibles

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home care

Falls Church Clockworks . . . . . . . . . . 536-6731

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home improvement

Clock repair

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Computer services Construction

Fast Teks On-Site Computer Srvcs . . 496-7807

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ASSisted living

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Attorneys

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Counseling

Bose Law Firm: Former Police . . . . . 926-3900 Mark F. Werblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9300 Phillip J. Walsh & Associates, P.C. . . 448-0073 John A. Boneta & Associates . . . . . . 536-6166 Janine S. Benton, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . . .992-9255

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Dentists

Amsoil Dealer 526099 . . . . . . . . . 580-748-0055 VA Auto Repair (Wittstatts) . . . . . . . . 533-3000 Beyer Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5000

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Sunrise of Falls Church . . . . . . . . . . . 534-2700

Automotive banking

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. . . 519-1634 BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-3505 Acacia Federal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506-8100

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beauty

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book Binding

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BCR Binders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9181

BUSINESS SERVICES

SS Business Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . 830-9526 Jon Rizalvo, PAYCHEX . . . . . 698-6910 x27045

Alba Construction, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . 204-0733 Carol S. Miller, LCSW . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-4980 Josette Millman, APRN . . . . . . . . . . . 855-0396 Drs. William Dougherty, Julie D. Tran 532-3300 Drs. Mark A. Miller, Melanie R. Love . . 241-2911 Dr. Mike McCombs, Orthodontist . . . . 820-1011 Dr. Nimisha V. Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-1993

Equipment REntal/Sale

VA Outdoor Power Equipment . . . . . 207-2000 Ace Tool & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-5600

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Eyewear

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FLorists

Universal Beauty Supply & Salon . . . 534-7926 n n

Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-6500

Framing

Art and Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-4202

carpet CLEANING

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Gifts

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catering

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Graphic design

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chiropractor

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health & FItness

B.D.G. Design Catering . . . . . . . . . . . 237-2964 Dr. Raymond Solano, drsolano.com . 536-4366

interior design

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jewelry

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lawn & garden

Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-0140

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be!

music

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pet services

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physical therapy

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Plumbing

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Political Parties

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real estate

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tailor

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Travel

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Tutors

Nationwide/Bob Pierce Agency . . . . . 241-7847 State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5105 design2follow llc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-1610 www.ofallthebeads.com . . . . . . . . . . . 901-3738 Weaver Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323-9351 Postage Stamp Gardens . . . . . . . . . . 629-8698 Seven Brothers Landscaping . . . . . . 241-4990 Lawn Care Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 691-2351

masonry

Mottern Masonry Design . . . . . . . 571-212-1711 Jeff L. Cadle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698-1390 n

massage

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medical

Stifel & Capra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-0770 What Works Design Group, LLC . . . . 864-2303

NED Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7457 James Roofing & Home Improvement 593-3383 Joseph Home Improvement . . . . . . . 507-5005 FC Heating & Air Service . . . . . . . . . 534-0630 M.D. Painting & Decorating Co. . . . . 966-2954 DAST Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 898-8318 Shiner Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560-7663 J & S Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448-1171 The Vinyl Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793-3111

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Furniture

Bratt Decor Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448-6833 Antique & Contemporary Restoration 241-8255

Human Touch Home Health . . . . . . . 531-0540

insurance

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Miniatures from the Attic . . . . . . . . . . . 237-0066

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Galleria Florist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-0770 Falls Church Florist, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 533-1333

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Mike’s Carpet Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 978-2270

Sacred Well Yoga and Healing . . . . . 989-8316 n

Massage & Hair Removal . . . . . . . 571-282-4522 Healthy by Intention, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 534-1321 Sheraton Premiere Women’s Massage 403-9328

Academy of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938-8054 Columbia Institute - Fine Arts . . . . . . 534-2508 Foxes Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7393 Dog Trainer - Nicole Kibler . . . . . . . . 593-6340 Falls Church Animal Hospital . . . . . . . .532-6121 Theracare Wellness Center . . . . . . . 560-4300 J. Nina Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-3006 Falls Church Democratic Committee 534-8644 Merelyn Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790-9090x218 www.helpfulmortgage.us . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Casey O’Neal - ReMax . . . . . . . . . . . 824-4196 Rosemary Hayes Jones . . . . . . . . . . .790-1990 H&R Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Leslie Hutchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .675-2188 www.Mortgage1040.com . . . . . . . . . . 448-3508 The Young Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-8800 Shaun Murphy, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . 868-5999 www.TheJeffersonatBallston.com . . . 741-7562 Susan Fauber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-8741 Tailor Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-8886 All Travel & Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 970-4091 Your Computer Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204-2821 Huntington Learning Center . . . . . . . 379-8810

Dr Gordon Theisz, Family Medicine . 533-7555 The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy . . . 536-4042

Visit Us Online

Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 450 W. Broad Street #321 Falls Church, Va 22046

www.fcnp.com News•Photos•Online Polls•Sports and More

Page 48

April 17 - 23, 2008

tL s u J

is

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O

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Just Listed Falls Church City Open Sunday 1-4

y nda

Su

Spacious and stately all brick Colonial on large beautifully landscaped lot within walking distance of shopping and West Falls Church Metro. Lovely 24 foot Living room with Fireplace, formal dining room with chair rail, updated kitchen/family room combination has door to deck with steps leading to patio.

Both deck and patio overlook pretty rear yard. Four bedrooms, all on one floor, plus den/office, two full baths and two half baths (one half bath plumbed for full bath). Hardwood floors on main level, including kitchen. Daylight Rec room with Fireplace, and French door to driveway and rear yard. Sunny, well-cared for one owner home. Nifty garden shed.

Lots of parking and lots of storage. $815,000, Dir: 7 Corners: W on Rt 7, L on West St to 402 on left.

Merelyn Kaye Selling Falls Church Since 1970

Life Member, NVAR TopProducer Member 20+ Million Dollar Sales Club Top 1/2% of all Agents Nationwide

Home 241-2577 Office 790-9090 X218 Mobile 362-1112

Just Google â&#x20AC;&#x153;Merelynâ&#x20AC;?

For Your Real Estate Needs

1320 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, Virginia 22101